Full text of "Gold districts of California"

& Engr

NO. 193

C.2

GOLD DISTRICTS
OF CALIFORNIA

BULLETIN 193

California Division of Mines and Geology
Sacramento, California, 1970

GOLD DISTRICTS OF CALIFORNIA

By William B. Clark

Geologist, California Division of Mines & Geology,
Sacramento, California

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
U.C DAVIS

JUL 'I 'i '~'^

GOV INFO or"!

BULLETIN 193

Geolog/
95814

The Fricof Nugget. This 201 -ounce (troy) cluster of gold
crystols Is on display in the Division of Mines and Geology
mineral exhibit in San Francisco's Ferry Building. Melted
down as gold, it would be worth tome seven or eight

thousand dollars, though iti value at a hbtoricol object
ond museum piece is much more. The nugget is shown here
ot slightly less thon holf its actual size. Pho'o by Mary Hill.

l^y Ronald Reagan, Governor

<^.- THE RESOURCES AGENCY

'^IH^Wan B. livermore, Jr., Secretoifx^';

DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATIOlf ■

, ^ \, James G. Steorns, Director :

^PiylsJON OF MINES AND GEOlOi^lj

'Itfn Campbell, Sfoie GetJegitf

■U

Manuscript submitted for publication 1 963

Some revisions through 1969

SIXTH PRINTING 1 992

FOREWORD

This bulletin is an overall guide to the gold deposits in California. Although a vast
number of publications have been written on gold and gold mining in California, there
is no single report or treatise on all of the knov/n gold-bearing districts in the state. A
number of very excellent reports have been written on the gold deposits of certain
districts or certain types of deposits within the state, mostly in the Sierra Nevada. Some
of these reports are classics now. Among them are J. D. Whitney's 1875 survey of the
auriferous gravels of the Sierra Nevada, Lindgren's 1911 professional paper on the
Tertiary channels of the Sierra Nevada and the geologic folios of the U. S. Geological
Survey by Lindgren (1890s), Turner (1890s), Diller (1900s), and Ransome (1900s). Also of
considerable importance are reports on the Mother Lode belt by Knopf and Logan, and
reports on the Grass Valley, Alleghany, and Randsburg districts by Johnston, Ferguson
and Gannett, and Hulin, respectively.

In this bulletin the principal features of each gold-bearing district are described. The
longer district descriptions contain sections on the location and extent, history, geology
and character of the ore deposits, a list of mines, and a bibliography. Production figures
are given whenever possible. Unfortunately, there is scant information available on
many important gold mines in the state.

The first mention of gold in California was in Las Sergus de Esplandian, a romance
published in Spain in 1510, in which "California" was believed to have been a great
island north of Mexico where gold and precious stones were abundant. Richard Hakluyt
expressed a similar opinion in his The Principall Navigafions Voiages and Discoveries
of the English Nation, published in London in 1589. Hakluyt, in his account of Sir
Francis Drake's voyage and 1579 visit to California, stated, "There is no port of the
earth here to be taken up wherein there is not a reasonable quantitie of gold and
silver". Gold was mined in southern California in the latter part of the 18th and early
part of the 19th Centuries under Spanish and Mexican rule, but little has been written
on these operations. Soon after the beginning of the gold rush in 1848, many publica-
tions were written on various phases of gold mining.

The reports of John Trosk, the first State Geologist in 1853-56, described a few
important mines. From 1867 to 1876, the U. S. Commissioner of Mineral Statistics
prepared reports of mine production and gold-mining activity. The California Mining
Bureau, now the California Division of Mines and Geology, was established in 1880,
and since then has published a fairly continuous record of gold-mining operations; the
later ones appeared in the California Journal of Mines and Geology and the County
Report series. The Division has published also a number of bulletins on certain phases
of gold mining and reports on various districts and regions. The most popular recent
publications are Bulletin 141, Geologic Guidebook along Highway 49 — Sierran Gold
Belt, The Mother Lode Country, in 1948; and The Elephant as They Saw It, an historical
treatise, in 1949.

While collecting data for this bulletin, the author became greatly impressed with
the vast amount of valuable information that has been amassed by the technical

staff of the California Division of Mines and Geology and its predecessor, the California
State Mining Bureau. Much of this work was done when this agency had a very small
staff and limited funds and when many of the mining districts were accessible only by
primitive roads or trails. He would like to pay tribute to a number of former staff
members who helped make this bulletin possible. These men worked for this organization
during much or all of their professional careers. They were Charles V. Averill, Walter
W. Bradley, Fletcher Hamilton, Olaf P. Jenkins, C. McK Laizure, Clarence A. Logan,
J. C. O'Brien, Reid J. Sampson, W. H. Storms, W. Burling Tucker, Clarence A. Waring,
and Charles G. Yale. In 1969 only Jenkins, O'Brien, and Logan were living.

A number of other geologists and mining engineers prepared reports on gold mining
or gold districts that were published by this agency. These were E. S. Boalich, Stephen
Bowers, Ross E. Browne, Henry DeGroot, J. E. Doolittle, R. L. Dunn, A. S. Eakle, H. W.
Fairbanks, W. A. Goodyear, C. S. Haley, John Hays Hammond, Paul Henshaw, J. B.
Hobson, Emile Huguenin, C. D. Hulin, Charles Janin, Errol MacBoyle, F. J. H. Merrill,
E. B. Preston, and W. B. Winston.

Tribute also is paid to the U. S. Geological Survey, especially to the three men of
that organization who did a vast amount of pioneer work in the Mother Lode region
of the Sierra Nevada: Waldemar Lindgren, F. L. Ransome, and H. W. Turner. Others
of the Geological Survey who have contributed to knowledge of California's gold
deposits have been John Albers, Josiah S. Diller, H. G. Ferguson, D. F. Hewitt, J. M.
Hill, W. D. Johnston, Jr., Adolph Knopf, S. C. Creasy, R. W. Gannett, W. Yeend, and
L. Noble.

During the preparation of this bulletin, the author visited nearly all the districts.
At some, only a general reconnaissance was made, but at others all of the important
mines were visited. Little detailed geologic mapping was done, but efforts were made
in a number of districts to determine the nature and extent of the mineralized zones
and vein systems. The publications and files of the California Division of Mines and
Geology and the United States Geological Survey, including the folios of the Geologic
Atlas of the United States, were important sources of information. The U. S. Geological
Survey Bulletin 507, The Mining Disfricfs of fhe Western United States (Hill, 1912), was
a special source of data. Information on the earlier history of individual districts is
found in the reports of the Commissioner of Mining Statistics of the U. 5. Treasury
Department (Browne, 1868, and Raymond, 1869-76). Other publications that were
consulted included the Mining and Scientific Press, Engineering and Mining Journal,
U. S. Bureau of Mines reports and records, and private reports. Some county records
were examined. The author was assisted by the following persons who reviewed chapters
on certain districts: John Albers, C. A. Bennett, O. E. Bowen, Clarence Carlson, F. F.
Davis, Willard Fuller, Earl Hart, Paul Morton, B. W. Troxel, F. H. Weber, and John Wells.
Credit is also given to the large number of mine owners and operators, mining engineers,
and miners with whom the author became acquainted. The maps and other drawings
were drafted by Hugo H. Hawkins, of the Division of Mines and Geology drafting section.

CONTENTS

Page

FOREWORD iii

ABSTRACT xi

INTRODUCTION 1

HISTORY OF GOLD MINING IN CALIFORNIA 2

Famous Gold Nuggets 9

Famous High-Grade Pockets - 10

DISTRIBUTION OF GOLD. 11

SIERRA NEVADA PROVINCE 15

Geology 1 5

Lode Deposits 1 5

Placer Deposits 15

District

Alleghany

Alto _

American Camp..

American Hill

Angels Camp

Badger Hill

Count/ Page

...Sierra 1 9

Calaveras 24

Tuolumne 24

..._Sierra 25

.... Calaveras. 25

.....Nevada 28

Bagby... Mariposa 29

Bangor-Wyandotte Butte .-. 29

Bidv/ell Bar Butte 29

Big Creek... Fresno 30

Big Dry Creek. Fresno — 30

Big Oak Flat Tuolumne 30

Bishop Creek Inyo 30

Blue Mountain Calaveras 31

Blue Tent Nevada 31

Brandy City Sierra 31

Brown's Valley Yuba 31

Brownsvil le Yuba 31

Buckeye Mariposa 32

Butte Creek Butte 32

Butt Valley Plumas 32

Calaveritas Calaveras 33

Camanche-Lancha Plana....Amador, Calaveras, San

Joaquin.. 33

Campo Seco-Valley

Springs Calaveras 33

Camptonville Sierra-Yuba 33

Canada Hill ...Placer 33

Carson Hill Calaveras 34

Cathey Mariposa 35

Cat Town ..Mariposa 36

Cherokee Butte 36

Chinese Camp Tuolumne 37

Chowchilla . AAadera _

Clear Creek Kern

Clearinghouse ....Mariposa

Clipper Mills Butte-Yuba

Coarsegold. Madera

Colfax Placer

Coilierville.. Calaveras, Tuolumne-

Coloma El Dorado

Columbia Tuolumne —

Confidence Tuolumne

37
37
37
38
38
38
38
39
39
41

District County

Coulterville _ AAariposa

Cove Kern

Crescent Mills _.PIutnas „

Damascus... Placer

Deer Creek _EI Dorado

Deer Valley El Dorado

Diamond AAountain. Lassen

Dobbins Yuba

Do wn ievi I le Sierra

Duncan Peak Placer

Dutch Flat Placer

El Dorado El Dorado

Emigrant Gap Placer _

English Mountain Nevada

Erskine Creek Kern

Eureka _Sierra

Fairplay El Dorado

Fiddletown Amador

Fine Gold Madera

Folsom Sacramento

Forbestown Butte

Forest Hill Placer

French Corral Nevada

Fresno River Madera

Friant _ Fresno

Genesee.... Plumas .

Georgetown ..El Dorado

Gibsonville Sierra

Globe Tulare

Gold Run Placer

Granite Basin Butte-Plumas

Granite Springs ...Mariposa-Tuolumne

Granifeville Nevada

Grass Valley Nevada

Gravel Range _ Mariposa-Tuolumne .

Greenhorn Mountain. Kern —

Greenwood El Dorado —

Grizzly Flat. ...-EI Dorado —

Grub Gulch Madera

Hammonton — Yuba

Hardin Flat... _ Tuolumne

Hildreth Madera —

Hite Cove Mariposa

Hodson Calaveras

Homer Mono

Honcut ..Butte

Honey Lake Lassen-Plumas

Hope Valley Alpine

Hornitos AAariposa

Hunter Valley. Mariposa

Indian Diggings EI Dorado

Indian Hill. _Sierra

Inskip _Botte

Iowa Hill - Placer

Irish Hill... Amador

Jackson-Plymouth Amador-Calaveras

Jacksonville Tuolumne

Jamestown Tuolumne

Page

41
42
42
42
43
43
43
44
44
44
45
45
45
46
46
46
46
46
47
. 47
. 48
. 49
. 50

- 50
. 50
. 51
. 51
. 51
. 52
. 52
. 52
. 53

- 53
. 53
_ 60
. 60
. 60
. 61

- 62
. 62
. 63
. 63

- 64
. 64
. 64

- 65

- 65
. 65
. 65
. 66
. 66
_ 66
_ 67

- 67
_ 69
.. 69
_ 77
_ 77

CONTENTS-Continued

District

Jenny Lind
Jerseydale .
Johnsville
Jordan
Kearsarge..

Keith...

Kelsey..

Kern River .
Keyesville...

Kimshew

Kinsley .

Knight's Ferry-
La Grange

La Porte

County

Calaveras
Mariposa ..

Plumas

Mono

.Inyo

AAono -

..El Dorado
Kern

Kern

Butte

Mariposa ..

Stanislaus

.Plumas ...

Last Chance Placer ..

Light's Canyon Plumas

Lincoln Placer ..

Long Tom Kern _..

Loraine Kern ....

Lowell Hill Nevada

AAogaiia Butte .

AAommoth Mono

Mariposa Mariposa

Meadow Lake Nevada

Meadow Valley Plumas

Michigan Bar . Sacramento

Michigan Bluff Placer

Mill Creek Fresno

Mineral King Tulare

Mokelumne Hill Calaveras ....

Montior-Mogul Alpine

Moore's Flat Nevada

Mooreville Ridge Butte-Plumas

Mormon Bar AAariposa

Morris Ravine Butte

Mountain AAeadows Lassen

Calaveras

Mariposa _

_ Calaveras

El Dorado

Nevada

Newtown El Dorado

Mountain Ranch.

Mount Bullion

Murphys

Nashville

Nevada City_

North Bloomfield.
North Columbia...

North San Juan

Ophir

Orovllle

Pacific

Paloma _

Penryn

P!ke

Pilot Hill

Pine Grove

Piute Mountains—

Placerville .

Poker Flat

Polk Springs

Port Wine

Poverty Hill

Quincy ..

Railroad Flat

Nevada
Nevada
Nevada
Placer ..
Butte .

El Dorado
Caloveras

Placer

Sierra

.El Dorado

.Amador

. Kern

. El Dorado

Sierra

Tehama

Sierra

. Sierra

. Plumas

.Caloveras

Poge
80
80

101

102

103

104

105

107

108

District County

Ralston Divide Placer

Rattlesnake Bar El Dorado

Rich Bar Plumas

Rich Gulch Calaveras

Rocklin Placer

Rough-and-Ready Nevada ....

Sampson Flat .
San Andreas
Sowpit Flat. .-
Scotts Flat...--.
Sheep Ranch .

Fresno
Calaveras
Piumas ....
Nevada ....
Calaveras
El Dorado
Sierra

Shingle Springs

Sierra City

Sierra Nevada Copper Belts

Silver King Alpine

Silver Mountain Alpine

Slate AAountain El Dorado

Smartsville Yuba

Snelling Merced __

Sonora Tuolumne

Soulsbyville Tuolumne _

Spanish Flat El Dorado

Spring Garden _-Plumas ._

Sweet Oil Plumas

Sycamore Fkat Fresno

Tohoe Placer

Taylorsvilie... Plumes

Tehochopi Kern

Temperance Flat Fresno

Tioga Mono-Tuolumne

Tuttletown _ Tuolumne

Vollecito Calaveras

Volcano Amador

Volconovilie El Dorado

Washington Nevada

West Point -Calaveras

Westville _Plocer

West Walker... Mono ......

Wheatland __._.Placer

White Oak Flat Amador _

White River _.Tulare —

Whitlock AAariposa

Yankee Hill Butte

You Bet Nevada

KLAMATH AAOUNTAINS PROVINCE _

Backbone

Bully Choop

Callahan.—

Cecilville

Cottonwood

Dead wood

Dedrlck-Conyon Creek-
Dillon Creek

Dog Creek .

Dorleska

French Gulch

Gazelle. .-

Gilta

Harrison Gulch

Helena-East Fork

._Shasta _
._ Trinity ..
...Siskiyou
...Siskiyou
._ Shasta _
...Siskiyou
_ Trinity _
_ Siskiyou

... Shasta

Trinity

Shasta-Trinity _-

Siskiyou

Shasta

— Trinity

Pog*

112
112
112
112
113
113
113
114
114
114
115
117
117
117
120
120
120
120
120
121
121
123
124
124
124
124
125
125
125
125
. 126
126
126
127
128
129
130
130
130
130
131
131
131
131

132

133
. 133
. 134

134
. 134
. 135

135
. 136
. 136

136
. 136
. 137

137
. 137

138

CONTENTS-Continued

District County

Hoopa Humboldt

Humbug ..Siskiyou

Igo-Ono Shasta .

Jelly Ferry Tehama

Klamath River

Liberty Siskiyou

AVjnumental , Del Norte

New River-Denny Trinity

Old Diggings ..Shasta

Orleans^ Humboldt

Oro Fino Siskiyou

Redding ._ Shasta

Salmon River Siskiyou

Scott Bar Siskiyou

Shosta-Copper-Zinc Belt

Shasta-Whiskeytown Shasta

Smith River Del Norte

Trinity River... Trinity

Weaverville . Trinity

BASIN RANGES PROVINCE

Argus Inyo

Ballarat Inyo

Beveridge Inyo

Big Pine Inyo

Bodie

Chloride Cliff

Clover Patch

AAono ..

Inyo

Mono ..

El Paso Mountains Kern —

Fish Springs Inyo —

Grapevine Inyo —

Horrisburg Inyo —

High Grade AAodoc 149

146

146
146
147
147
147
148
148
149
149
149
149

Lee's Camp-Echo Canyon... Inyo

Masonic AAono

AAodoc Inyo

Patterson AAono

Rademacher Kern —

Russ Inyo _

Skidoo Inyo

Slate Range San Bernardino

Spongier San Bernardino

Tibbetts Inyo

Ubehebe Inyo

White Mountains AAono

Wildrose Inyo .

Willow Inyo _.

MOJAVE DESERT PROVINCE

Alvord ._San Bernardino .

Arico Riverside

Arrowhead Son Bernardino .

Bendigo Riverside

Cargo Muchacho-Tumco Imperial

Chocolate Mountains Imperial

Chuckwalla..
Clark.

Coolgardie

Dale

Dos Polmos

Eagle Mountains Riverside

150
150
150
150
150
151
151
152
152
152
152
152
152
152

153

153
153
153
153
153
154
156
156
157

Riverside

San Bernardino

Riverside-San Bernardino 157

Riverside 157

157

District County

Emerson Lake San Bernardino .

Gold Reef.. _ _San Bernardino .

Goldstone San Bernardino .

Grapevine San Bernardino .

Hackberry Mountain San Bernardino .

Holloron Springs.... ...San Bernardino .

Hart _ San Bernardino .

Poga

158
158
158
158
158
158
158

Ibex. Son Bernardino 159

Ivonpah San Bernardino 159

Mojave-Rosomond Kern 159

Mule Mountains Riverside . . — 161

Old Dad San Bernardino 161

Old Woman San Bernardino 161

Ord San Bernardino 161

Oro Grande San Bernardino 162

Picacho Imperial 162

Potholes Imperial 163

Rand Kern-Son Bernardino 164

Shadow Mountains— San Bernardino 167

Stedmon... San Bernardino 167

Trojan San Bernardino 168

Twentynine Palms _Riverside-San Bernardino 168

Vonderbilt Son Bernardino 169

Whipple San Bernardino 169

TRANSVERSE AND PENINSULAR RANGES
PROVINCES

Acton

Azusa-Tujunga

Baldwin Lake

Block Hawk.

Boulder Creek

Cuyamaca

Deer Park

Dulzura

Escondido

Frazier Mountain ,

Holcomb Valley

Julian-Banner

Loguna Mountains..

Lytle Creek

Menifee

Mesa Grande

AAontezuma

Morongo

Mount Boldy.

Mount Gleason

Neenoch _

Pinacote

Pine Valley

Piru

Sougus _

Trabuco

Los Angeles

Son Bernardino ._

Son Bernardino _

San Diego

Ventura

San Bernardino _

San Diego

San Diego _.

San Bernardino _.

Riverside

San Diego

Son Diego

San Bernardino —

Los Angeles

Riverside

San Diego

Ventura

.Los Angeles.
.Orange ___

MODOC PLATEAU PROVINCE. _.

Hoyden Hill Lassen

Winters >Aodoc

COAST RANGES PROVINCE

Colistoga Napa ..

Crescent City Del Norte

169

169
170
170
170
170
170
171
171
171
171
171
172
173
173
174
174
174
174
174
174
174
175
176
176
176
176

177
177
177

178
178
178

CONTENTS-Continued

District County Pag« DUlricI County Poi

Island Mountain Trinity _ 178 Santa Cruz Santa Cruz 1{

Jolon _ Monterey 179 Silver Queen_ _ Sonoma It

La Panza San Luis Obispo 179 Sulphur Creek .Colusa It

Los Burros Monterey 179 Surf-Point Sal Santa Barbara._ It

0'"'«'< Humboldt __ 180 GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY 1{

Putah Creek Yolo 1 80

Red Mountain Mendocino 180 ^'^^ OF DISTRICTS BY COUNTIES __.._„. It

San Francisco Beach... San Francisco 180 INDEX OF ALTERNATE DISTRICT NAMES It

ILLUSTRATIONS
Figures

Plate.

9.
10.
11.
12.

13.
14.
15.

Page

Map of C<ilifornia Showing Locations of

Gold Districts .. In pocket

Gold Production in California, 1848-1965 6

Map of California Showing Gold-Bearing Areas

and Geomorphic Provinces - 12

Map of Major Rock Units and Lode-Gold Belts,

Northern Sierra Nevada 16

Map of Major Rock Units and Lode-Gold Belts,

Central Sierra Nevada 17

Map of Tertiary Channels and Dredge Fields,

Sierra Nevada 18

Geologic Map of Alleghany District, Sierra

County 22

Geologic Map of Angels Camp District, Cala-
veras County 26

Geologic Mop of Grass Valley District, Nevada

County 58

Section through Idaho-Maryland Mine 59

Section through Empire and Pennsylvania Mines 59

Map of Iowa Hill District, Placer County 68

Geologic Map of Jackson-Plymouth District,

Amador County 74

Section through Argonaut Mine 75

Section through Kennedy Mine — 75

Section through Keystone Mine 75

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.
22.

23.
24.

25.

26.

27.
28.

29.

30.

Page

Geologic Map of Jamestown District, Tuolumne
County 78

Sketch Mop of Magalia District, Butte County.. - 88

Geologic Map of Bagby, Mariposa, Mount Bul-
lion and Whitlock Districts, Mariposa County 95

Geologic Map of Nevada City District, Nevada
County 98

Geologic Map of Ophir and Penryn Districts,
Placer County 103

Map of Placerville District, El Dorado County.... 109

Geologic Map of Sierra City and Johnsville Dis-
tricts, Sierra and Plumas Counties . 116

Mop of Copper and Zinc Belts, Sierra Nevada 119

Geologic Map of Soulsbyville and Confidence
Districts, Tuolumne County . 122

Geologic Map of West Point and Railroad Flat
Districts, Calaveras County 129

Geologic Map of French Gulch District, Shasta
County 137

Sketch Mop of Shasta Copper-Zinc Belt 141

Geologic Map of Cargo Muchacho-Tumco Dis-
trict, Imperial County 155

Geologic Mop of Mojave-Rosomond District,
Kern County 160

Geologic Map of Rand District, Kern and San
Bernardino Counties 165

Photos

Poge

Frontispiece. The Fricot Nugget ii 20.

1. Early Gold-Mining Scene — xii

2. Winnowing Gold Near Chinese Camp 1 21.

3. Dry-Washing Gold.. 3

22.

SIERRA NEVADA PROVINCE 23.

4. Locomotive, Bald Mountain Drift Mine, Alle-

ghany District 19 24.

5. Brush Creek Mine, Alleghany District 20 25.

6. Kate Hardy Mine, Alleghany District 20 26.

7. Oriental Mine, Alleghany District 21 27.

8. Sixteen-to-One and Gold Crown Mines, Alle- 28.

ghany District 23 29.

9. Large Nuggets, Ruby Drift Mine, Alleghany 30.

District .. _ 24 31.

10. Angels Mine, Angels Camp District 25 32.

11. Gold Cliff Mine, Angels Camp District 27 33.

12. Utica Mine, Angels Camp District 28

13. Carson Hill Mine and Mill, Carson Hill District.. 34 34.

14. Suction Dredge, Calaveras County 35 35.

15. Cherokee Hydraulic Mine, Cherokee District 36

16. Placer Mining, Columbia District 40 36.

17. Hummocky Limestone, Columbia District 40

18. Virginia Mine, Coulterville District.. 41 37.

19. Natomas Company Dredge No. 2, Folsom DIs- 38.

trict 47 39.

Poge

Natomas Company Dredge No. 9, Folsom Dis-
trict 48

Natomas Company Dredge No. 8, Folsom Dis-
trict 49

Empire Mine, Grass Valley District _ 54

End of a Shift, Empire AAine, Grass Valley Dis-
trict 55

Idaho-Maryland Mine, Grass Valley District 56

New Brunswick Mine, Grass Valley District 57

North Star Mine, Grass Valley District 57

Mining Operations, Grizzly Flat District — 61

Yuba Consolidated Dredge, Hammonton District 63

Doss (Ginaca) Mine, Hornitos District 65

Big Dipper Drift Mine, Iowa Hill District 67

Amador-Star Mine, Jackson-Plymouth District ... 69
Central Eureka Mine, Jackson-Plymouth District 70
Kennedy Mine and Mill, Jackson-Plymouth Dis-
trict _ 70

Kennedy Mine, Recent View _ 71

Argonaut Mine and Mill, Jackson-Plymouth Dis-
trict

Plymouth Consolidated Mine, Jackson-Plymouth

District

Eogle-Shawmut Mine, Jacksonville District 76

Crystalline Mine, Jamestown District 77

Harvard Mine, Jamestown District.. 79

Photos— Continued

Pog*

40. Jumper Mine, Jamestown District 79

41. Rawhide AAine, Jamestown District 80

42. Alameda Mine, Jamestown District 81

43. Jamison Mine, Johnsville District 82

44. Plumas-Eureka Mine, Johnsville District ._... 83

45. Hydraulic Mining in the 1860s, AAichigan Bar

District 90

46. Town of Monitor in the 1870$ 92

47. Princeton Mine, Mount Bullion District 94

48. Champion Mine, Nevada City District 96

49. Lava Cap Mine, Nevada City District - 96

50. Providence Mine, Nevada City Districts . 99

51. MalakofF Mine, North Bloomfield District.. 100

52. Main Hydraulic Pit, North Columbia District 102

53. Cherokee Mining Company Dredge, Oroville

District _ — 104

54. Contini Mine, Pine Grove District 106

55. Red Hill Mine, Pine Grove District _.. 106

56. Ground Sluicing, Plocerville District.. 107

57. California Gold Mine — _ — 108

58. Early view of the Town of St. Louis 110

59. Lee Drift Mine, Rocklin District — . 113

60. Sheep Ranch Mine, Sheep Ranch District 115

61. Young America Mine, Sierra City District... 118

62. Soulsby Mine, Soulsbyville District ._ 123

63. Alhambra Mine, Spanish Flat District 124

64. Early Placer Mining, Volcano District — 127

65. Belden Mine, West Point District 128

KLA>MTH MOUNTAINS PROVINCE

66. Bully Choop Mine, Bully Choop District 133

67. Princess Hydraulic Mine, Shasta County... 134

68.
69.

70.
71.

72.

Pagt

Placer Mine, Siskiyou County 135

Carrville Gold Company Dredge, Trinity River

District 142

Steam Dragline Operation, Trinity River District 143
Hydraulic AAining of Bench Gravels, Trinity

County — — . 144

La Grange Hydraulic Mine, Weavervilie District 145

BASIN RANGES PROVINCE

73. Standard Consolidated Mine, Bodie District 147

74. Red Cloud Mine, Bodie District 148

75. Town of Skidoo, Skidoo District — 151

MOJAVE DESERT PROVINCE

76. Golden Cross Mine, Cargo Muchocho-Tumco

District 154

77. Dry Placer Mining, Coolgardie District 156

78. Gold Crown Mine, Dale District 157

79. Exposed Treasure Mine, Mojave District 159

80. Picacho Mine, Picacho District 162

81. Gold Concentrating Mill, Colorado River. 163

82. Yellow Aster Mine, Rand District _ 164

83. Yellow Aster Mine Mill 166

84. Town of Randsburg, Kern County 167

85. Pacific Gold-Copper Mine, Stedman District 168

TRANSVERSE AND PENINSULAR RANGES PROVINCES

86. Lytle Creek Mine, Lytle Creek District 172

87. Hydraulic Mining, Lytle Creek District 173

88. Lode Gold Mine, Los Angeles County 175

Tobies

Page

1. Gold Production in California, 1848-1968 4

2. Significant Dates in the History of Gold AAining

in California 5

3. Estimated Gold Production by Counties, 1848-

1 965 — 9

Pago

4. Large Nuggets and Gold Masses from California 10

5. High-Grade Pockets -... - H

6. Principal Gold Districts _ 13

7. Principal Lode-Gold Mines _ 13

8. Major Hydraulic AAines 13

9. Major Drift Mines.. 14

ABSTRACT

California has been the source of more than 106 million troy ounces* of gold, the
most productive state in the Union. However, production has greatly declined in recent
years because of high costs and depletion of easily accessible deposits.

Although gold v/a% mined in California in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, the
gold rush did not begin until after Marshall's discovery at Sutter's Mill in 1848. Thou-
sands of gold seekers soon arrived, and in a few years much of the state was
permanently settled. Gold production attained an all-time high of $81 million in 1852
but then declined because of the exhaustion of the rich surface placers. At the last
government-set price of $35 per ounce, the 1852 amount would have been about
$138 million.

Hydraulic mines became the largest sources of gold until curtailed by court order
in 1884. Lode mines and dredges were the principal sources after that date. During
the depression years of the 1930s, gold output in the state was nearly as high as it
had been during the gold rush. Gold mining was curtailed during World War II end
has not recovered since.

A number of spectacular nuggets and masses of pure gold were recovered in Cali-
fornia during the early days. The most famous were the 195-pound mass of gold from
Carson Hill and the 54-pound Willard nugget from Magalia. Small high-grade ore
shoots or pockets have been found in many districts, but the richest and most numerous
have been in the Alleghany district of Sierra County.

Although gold is found in many areas in California, the most productive districts
are in the northern and central portions of the Sierra Nevada. The primary deposits
usually consist of gold-quartz veins in metamorphic rocks and are associated with the
intrusion of the Sierra Nevada batholith. The most productive lode-gold districts in
the Sierra Nevada have been the Grass Valley, Nevada City, Alleghany, and
Sierra City districts, those of the Mother Lode belt, and several in the so-called
East and West Gold Belts. Several districts are in the southern end of the range. The
Sierra Nevada placer deposits are divisible into the older or Tertiary deposits, which
were mined by hydraulicking and drifting, and the younger or Quaternary stream
deposits, which have been mined by dredging. The principal Tertiary deposits are in
the La Porte, Poker Flat, Magalia, Cherokee, North Bloomfield, North Columbia, Dutch
Flat, Damascus, Forest Hill, Iowa Hill, Mokelumne Hill, and Columbia districts. The
largest dredging fields were at Hammonton, Folsom, Oroville, Comanche, La Grange,
and Snelling.

In the Klamath Mountain, the second most-productive province, the largest sources
of gold have been the streams of the Klamath-Trinity River system. The older terrace
deposits along the sides of the present stream channels also have yielded much gold
and were mined by hydraulicking. The most productive source of lode-gold has been
the French Gulch district of Shasta and Trinity Counties. Other important lode-mining
centers were the Harrison Gulch, Liberty, Callahan, Sawyers Bar, Weaverville, and Old
Diggings districts.

The Basin Ranges and Mojave Desert provinces of eastern and southern California
have yielded substantial amounts of gold. The gold occurs either in epithermol deposits
in brecciated silicified zones of Tertiary volcanic rocks or in mesothermol quartz veins
of older metamorphic and granitic rocks. Gold also has been recovered from dry

* More than 8.8 million troy pounds, 7.2 million avoirdupois pounds, 3630 tons. Conversion foctors: one
troy ounce = about 1 .1 av. ounce, but one troy pound == about .8 ov. pound.

placers in several districts. The Bodie district has been the most important gold source
in the Basin Ranges, while the Mojave, Rand, Stedman, and Cargo Muchacho districts
contain the most productive mines in the AAojave Desert.

Moderate amounts of gold have been mined in the Transverse and Peninsular
Ranges in southern California, the principal sources having been the Frazier Mountain,
Saugus, Acton, Pinacote, Julian-Banner, and Cuyamaco districts. The mineral also
has been recovered from the Modoc Plateau province in northeastern California, the
main source having been the Hoyden Hill district. Small amounts of gold have been
produced in a number of places in the Coast Ranges.

^* 'Sd'

Photo 1. Early Gold-Mining Seen*. On« miner operates a horse-powered orrostro, a second pons ore ond o third works with a rocker,

GOLD DISTRICTS OF CALIFORNIA

By WILLIAM B. CLARK

INTRODUCTION

Between 1848 and 1967, California was the source

of more than 106 million troy ounces of gold. This

total was far greater than that for any other state in

^ the Union and represented about 35 percent of the

total United States production.

California's gold mining has been important in the
history and development of the western United States.
The influence it has had on the development and per-
fection of mining and metallurgical processes also has
been significant. Although world gold production has

Photo 2. Winnowing Gold Near Cliinese Camp.

[l]

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

gradually increased in recent years, chiefly because of
increased output in the Union of South Africa and
the Soviet Union, United States production, par-
ticularly that in California, has diminished. This di-
minishing trend is attributable to increased costs for
labor and supplies combined with, until recently, a
fixed price for domestically mined gold ($35 per
fine ounce), the expense of reconditioning mines shut
down during World War II, and depletion of many
gold deposits. Another factor in California is the
increased real estate value of many gold-bearing
properties. In addition, a number of gold mines and
gold-bearing deposits have been inundated by reser-
voirs.

The word "district" as used in this publication de-
notes an area or zone of gold mineralization. The
location and extent of these districts are determined
by the occurrence of deposits that have yielded gold
in commercial amounts. Often the limits of the indi-
vidual districts are not well defined, because the
boundaries between rocks that have yielded com-
mercial ore and those that have not are indefinite.
Except in portions of the desert regions, the limits of
the named mining districts in California often are un-
certain. Commonly, what has been referred to as an
organized mining district actually has been nothing
more than a center of mining operations with an ap-
propriate geographic name. The names used in this
report are either those of the corresponding organized
districts or geographic names long used to designate
centers of mining operations. If a district has had
several names, the most common name is used in this

report. A list of alternate names appears in an index
at the back of the book.

The size and productivity of the gold districts of
California vary widely. Some are scores of square
miles in extent and others cover only a few square
miles. However, size often is no indication of^ the
richness of the deposits or of the total value of out-
put. Some lode-gold districts, such as Grass Valley,
Alleghany, and Randsburg, contain many rich veins
in a small area. Some placer-gold districts contain
channel deposits of several different ages, and others
contain deposits only of one age. Some districts are
mostly lode, some mostly placer, and others have both
lode and placer deposits. In the Sierra Nevada and
Klamath Mountains, the gold mineralization is ex-
tensive. However, studies show that the bulk of the
gold production has come from distinct districts
within these major regions.

The organized mining districts were important
during the days of the frontier. These were organized
by the miners themselves to establish law and order.
The miners would meet to draft bylaws defining the
size of claims and territorial jurisdiction of the district
Commonly these laws included procedures for the
punishment of claim jumpers, sluice robbers, and mur-
derers. A recorder was appointed to keep records. The
customs and laws were derived chiefly from European
mining districts. The importance of the organized
mining districts diminshed after the Federal Mining
Acts of 1866 and 1872. The official records of some
of the old districts still exist and are on file in county
recorders' offices.

HISTORY OF GOLD MINING IN CALIFORNIA

California's gold-mining history is a brilliant lure,
and many books, pamphlets, periodicals and articles
have been published on the subject. The old mining
districts and settlements, including "ghost" towns, are
visited by increasing numbers of tourists each year.
In a few districts the old camps have been recon-
structed. Several old gold mining towns, such as
Columbia, Johnsville, Coloma, Shasta, and Bodie,
are California state parks or recreation areas. In recent
years more people have become aware of the im-
portance of California's gold rush in the history and
development of the western United States, and steps
have been made to preserve historical structures and
equipment closely associated with gold mining.

Unfortunately, little visible evidence remains of
many of California's important gold-quartz mines
other than caved shafts and tunnels and heavily over-
grown dumps. The surface plants of the large under-
ground lode mines at Grass Valley and along the
Mother Lode belt, which for years accounted for a
major part of California's gold output, have been
almost completely dismantled. More evidence remains
of the large-scale placer-mining operations. The old
hydraulic mine pits and the extensive tailing piles in
the dredging fields still exist; some are used as com-
mercial sources of sand and gravel. A number of the
old ditches, flumes, and reservoirs that once supplied
water to the hydraulic mines now are parts of hydro-
electric and irrigation systems.

1970

Gold Districts

Photo 3. Dry-Washing Gold.

California Division ok Mines and Geology
Table 1. Gold Production in California, 1848-1968.

Bull. 193

y««r

Fine
Ounces

1 848 11 ,866

1849 491,072

1850 1,996,586

1851 3,673,512

1852 3,932,631

1853 3,270,803

1854 3,358,867

1 855 2,684,1 06

1856 2,782,018

1857 2,110,513

1858 2,253,846

1859 2,217,829

1860 2,133,104

1861 2,026,187

1862 1,879,595

1863 1,136,897

1864 1,164,455

1865 867,405

1866 828,367

1867 883,591

1868 849,265

1869 881,830

1870 844,537

1871 845,493

1872.'. 748,951

1873 726,554

1874 835,186

1875 816,377

1876 755,169

1877 798,249

1878 911,343

1879 949,439

1880 968,986

1881 929,920

1882 829,458

1883 1,176,329

1884 657,900

1885 612,478

1886 711,911

1887 657,349

1888 616,000

1889 542,425

1890 595,486

1891 615,759

1892 608,166

1893 606,564

1894 670,636

1895 741,798

1896 831,158

1897 767,779

1898 769,476

1899 741,881

1900 767,390

1901 821,845

1902 818,037

1903 788,544

1904 901,484

1905 914,217

1906 906,182

Value

$ 245,301
10,151,360
41,273,106
75,938,232
81,294,700
67,613,487
69,433,931
55,485,395
57,509,411
43,628,172
46,591 ,1 40
45,846,599
44,095,163
41,884,995
38,854,668
23,501,736
24,071,423
17,930,858
17,123,867
18,265,452
17,555,867
18,229,044
17,458,133
17,477,885
15,482,194
15,019,210
17,264,836
16,876,009
15,610,723
16,501,268
18,839,141
19,626,654
20,030,761
19,223,155
17,146,416
24,316,873
13,600,000
12,661,044
14,716,506
13,588,614
12,750,000
11,212,913
12,309,793
12,728,869
12,571,900
12,538,780
13,863,282
15,334,317
17,181,562
15,871,401
1 5,906,478
15,336,031
15,863,355
16,989,044
16,910,320
16,300,653
18,633,676
18,898,545
18,732,452

Year

1907.
1908.
1909.
1910.
1911 .
1912.
1913.
1914.
1915.
1916.
1917.
1918.
1919.
1920.
1921.
1922.
1923.
1924.
1925.
1926.
1927.
1928.
1929.
1930.
1931 .
1932.
1933.
1934.
1935.
1936.
1937.
1938.
1939.
1940.
1941 .
1942.
1943.
1944.
1945.
1946.
1947.
1948.
1949.
1950.
1951 .
1952.
1953.
1954.
1955.
1956.
1957.
1958.
1959.
1960.
1961 .
1962.
1963.
1964.
1965.

Fine

Ounces

Value

809,214

$16,727,928

907,590

18,761,559

979,007

20,237,870

953,734

19,715,440

954,870

19,738,908

953,640

19,713,478

987,187

20,406,958

999,113

20,653,496

1,085,646

22,442,296

1,035,745

21,410,741

971,733

20,087,504

799,588

16,528,953

807,667

16,695,955

692,297

14,311,043

759,721

15,704,822

709,678

14,670,346

647,210

13,379,013

636,140

13,150,175

632,035

13,065,330

576,798

11,923,481

564,586

11,671,018

521,740

10,785,315

412,479

8,526,703

457,200

9,451,162

523,135

10,814,162

569,167

11,765,726

613,579

15,683,075

719,064

25,131,284

890,430

31,165,050

1 ,077,442

37,710,470

1,174,578

41,110,230

1,311,129

45,889,515

1,435,264

50,234,240

1,455,671

50,948,585

1,408,793

49,307,755

847,997

29,679,895

148,328

5,191,480

117,373

4,108,055

147,938

5,177,830

356,824

12,488,840

431,415

15,099,525

428,473

14,751,555

417,231

14,603,085

412,118

14,424,130

339,732

1 1 ,890,620

258,176

9,036,160

234,591

8,210,685

237,888

8,326,010

251,737

8,810,795

193,816

6,783,560

170,885

5,980,975

185,400

6,489,000

146,141

5,114,935

123,713

4,329,91.5

97,648

3,417,600

106,272

3,719,5!!0

86,867

3,040,345

71,028

2,485,9110

62,885

2,220,9'5

1970

Gold Districts
Table 1. Gold Production in California, 1848-1968 — Continued

Year

1966.
1967.

Fine
Ounces

64,764
40,570

Value

$2,266,740
1 ,420,000

Year

1 968

1969 (est.).

Fine
Ounces

15,682
7,950

Value

$616,000
335,000

Totals: 106,276,163 ounces valued at $2,428,330,901 through 1968.

Note: The price of 9old was S20.67 a fine ounce until 1933, when it was increased
to $25.56. The figure rose to $34.95 the following year and again, to $35, in
1935. On March 15, 1968, the U.S. Treasury suspended purchases, leaving

miners free to sell their gold on the open market; domestic prices have since
risen. Dollar amounts above for production since that date are based on the
New York selling price.

Table 2. Significant Dotes in the History of Gold Mining in California.

The First known discovery of gold in California was made in the Potholes district, Imperial
County. Mining extended into the Cargo Muchacho and Picacho districts.

A small placer gold deposit was found at San Vsidro, San Diego County.

The placer deposits in San Francisquito Canyon, Los Angeles County, were discovered.

Gold was discovered in Placerita Canyon, Los Angeles County. Some sources give the date
of this discovery as 1 841 .

Gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill at Coloma on the American River by James Marshall.
Although the exact date has been the subject of some discussion, it is officially designated
as January 24. The first printed notice of the discovery was in the March 15 issue of "The
Caiifornian" in San Francisco. Shortly after Marshall's discovery General John Bidwell
discovered gold in the Feather River and Major Pearson B. Reading found gold in the
Trinity River. The gold rush was soon in full sway as thousands of gold seekers poured into
California.

Quartz mining began at the Mariposa mine, Mariposa County. A stamp mill, probably the
first in the state, was installed.

Gold-bearing quartz was found at Gold Hill at Grass Valley. This led to the development
of the great underground mines in that district and a major industry that continued for more
than 100 years.

Gold was discovered in Greenhorn Creek, Kern County. This discovery led to the rush to
the upper Kern River region.

California's annual gold production reached an all-time high of $81 million.

Hydraulic mining began at American Hill just north of Nevada City, Nevada County, and
at Yankee Jims, Placer County.

The first extensive underground mining of buried river channels commenced in the Forest
Hill district. Placer County.

The placers at Columbia, Tuolumne County, began to yield vast amounts of gold. This con-
tinued until the early 1 860s. At that time Columbia was one of the largest cities in the state.

The Fraser River rush in British Columbia caused a partial exodus of miners from the state.

A 195-pound mass of gold, the largest known to have been discovered in California, was
found at Carson Hill, Calaveras County.

Continued on p. 7

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull 193

< c

>• o

Sbvmoa do SNomm

1970

Gold Districts

Table 2. Significant Dates in the History of Gold Mining in California. — Continued

1855 The rich surface placers were largely exhausted by this date, and river mining accounted for

much of the stale's output until the early 1860s. Ail of the rivers in the gold regions were
mined.

1859 The famous 54-pound Willard nugget was found at Magalia, Butte County.

1 859 The Comstock silver rush began in Nevada. This development caused a large exodus of gold

miners from California. However, it stimulated gold and silver prospecting in eastern and
southeastern California.

1 864 By this time California's gold rush had ended. The rich surface and river placers were largely

exhausted; hydraulic mines were the chief sources of gold for the next 20 years.

1868 The first air drills were introduced. However, widespread use of air drills in mining did not

come for another 30 years.

1 876 The stampede to the Bodle district in Mono County began. This rush lasted until about 1 888.

1880 Hydraulic mining reached its peak in the state. Vast systems of reservoirs, tunnels, ditches,

flumes, and pipelines supplied water to these operations.

1883 Gold production figures began to be collected for the calendar year instead of the fiscal
year.

1884 Sawyer Decision. In the case of Woodruff vs. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company,
Judge Lorenzo Sawyer issued a decree prohibiting the dumping of debris into the Sacra-
mento and San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries. Action against other hydraulic mines
soon followed. A few mines constructed tailings storage dams and continued to operate,
but hydraulic mining has not been important in the Sierra Nevada since. For a few years
drift mines partially made up for the loss in output of surface placer gold.

1890 Beginning about this time and continuing for several decades, great improvements were
made in mining and milling methods. These changes enabled many more lode deposits,
especially large but low-grade accumulations, to be profitably worked. The improvement
of air drills, explosives, and pumps, and the introduction of electric power lowered mining
costs greatly. The introduction of rock crushers, increase in size of stamp mills, and new
concentrating devices, such as vanners, lowered milling costs. Cyanidation was introduced
in 1 896 and soon replaced the chlorination processes.

1 893 The Caminetti Act was passed creating the California Debris Commission. This commission

licenses hydraulic mining operations in the Sierra Nevada. If is empowered to assess such
mines to build debris dams.

1 893 Gold was discovered in Goler Gulch in the El Paso Mountains in eastern Kern County. This

led to other discoveries in the area and the influx to the Rand district, which began in 1 895.

1898 The first successful bucket-line dredge was started on the lower Feather River near Oroville.

Gold dredging soon became a major industry that continued for more than 65 years.

1904 The lost, high-grade Tightner vein was rediscovered at Alleghany in Sierra County. Large

amouls of rich ore were taken from this vein, and mining activity, reviving in this district,
continued until 1965. This was the last district in the state where gold mining was the chief
industry.

1916 The general prosperity that began during World War I and continued until 1929, with

accompanying high costs, caused a decrease in gold output.

1922 Argonaut disaster. A fire on the 3350-foot level at the Argonaut mine in the Jackson dis-

trict, Amador County, caused the loss of 47 lives.

Confinuee/ on p. 8

CALIFORNIA Division of Mines and Geology

ible 2. Significant Dates in the History of Gold Mining in California. — Continued

1929 Peak of post World War I boom. Lowest point in 9old production since 1849.

1930 Gold production started to rise because of the depression and resulting low operating costs.

1933-35 The price of gold increased from $20.67 to $35 per fine ounce. This rise ultimately resulted
in a large increase in gold output and in much greater exploration activities.

1940 Gold output totaled nearly $51 million. This was the most valuable annual output since

1 856. Thousands of miners were employed in the quartz mines at Grass Valley, Alleghany,
Nevada City, Jackson, Sutter Creek, Jamestown, Mojave, and French Gulch. There were
many active bucket-line dredges, and dragline dredges became important producers of
placer gold.

1942 World War II caused a precipitous drop in gold output. War Production Board Limitation

Order L-208, issued on October 8, caused the gold mines to be shut down.

1944 Gold production touched the lowest point since 1848.

1945 Order L-208 was lifted, effective July 1. Some of the bucket-line dredges resumed opera-
tions, but only a few important lode mines at Grass Valley, Alleghany, and Suiter Creek
were reopened. Production increased slightly for 4 years.

1950 Gold output resumed its decline because of rising costs and depletion of dredging gound.

This trend was accelerated by the Korean War.

1953 The Central Eureka mine at Sutter Creek, the last major operating lode mine in the Mother

Lode belt, was shut down.

1956 The mines of Empire-Star Mines Ltd., and Idaho-Maryland Mines, Inc., at Grass Valley

were shut down. The industry of gold mining completed nearly 106 years of operation in
this locality.

1960 Gold output fell below $5 million as the dredges continued to curtail operations.

1962 The last dredge of the Folsom Field in Sacramento County was shut down, ending more than
60 years of operation. One of the last active lode-gold mines in California, the Sixteen-to-
One in the Alleghany district, curtailed operations.

1963 The three large dredges of the Yuba Mining Division, Yuba Consolidated Industries — in
the Hammonton district, Yuba County — were the only major sources of gold in the state.
The small output from the substantial number of part-time prospectors, pocket miners,
snipers, and skin divers did not offset the decrease in output from larger commercial opera-
tions. Several mines in the Alleghany district obtained U.S. Government exploration loans.

1964 The Brush Creek mine, a substantial source of gold in the Alleghany district. Sierra County,
ceased operations.

1965 Governor Edmund G. Brown signed Senate Bill 265 designating gold as California's official
state mineral. The Sixteen-to-One mine at Alleghany, Sierra County, was shut down at the
end of the year. This was the last lode mine in the stale that had been operated on a sus-
tained basis.

1967 Two of the three remaining dredges at Hammonton were shut down.

1968 The last gold dredge at Hammonton was shut down on October 1. This was the last sus-
tained commercial gold-mining operation in California.

1968 The U.S. Treasury suspended purchases of newly-mined gold. The free market price rose

to $44 an ounce early in 1969, falling by November to $38.50, because of greater sta-
bility in international currencies.

1970

Gold Districts
Table 3. Estimated Gold Production by Counties, 1848-1965.

County

Alpine

Amador

Butte

Calaveras

Del Norte

EI Dorado

Fresno

Humboldt

Imperial

Inyo

Kern

Lassen

Los Angeles

Madera

Mariposa

Merced

Mono

Nevada

Placer

Production
(in millions)

200

150

110

440

120

Famous Gold

Many large and spectacular fragments of native
gold have been found in California. Most of these
were taken during the gold rush and contributed
further to the excitement in the mining camps and
"stampedes" to the various "diggings". Few of these
nuggets exist today; most were melted down soon
after they were discovered. Although the term "nug-
get" is technically restricted to water-worn gold frag-
ments in alluvial deposits, it frequently is used to de-
scribe chunks of vein gold not far removed from the
point of origin. It is not used to describe high-grade
"pockets" or small but rich ore shoots — these are listed
in the next section.

The largest piece of native gold that is believed to
have been found in California was the 195-pound
mass taken at Carson Hill in 1854. The largest true
nugget was the Willard, Dogtown or Magalia nugget,
which was found at Magalia in 1859. A celebration
was held and the nugget was melted in Oroville soon
afterward. It weighed 54 pounds troy. Replicas are
owned by the Division of Mines and Geology and
the Paradise Chamber of Commerce. An annual cele-
bration is held in Magalia commemorating the dis-
covery.

Other spectacular nuggets found in California were:

• The 50-pound slab from Knapp's Ranch, Tuol-
umne County.

• The 28-pound Holden Chispa nugget from Hol-
den's Gardens in Sonora.

• A 28-pound nugget from Sullivan Creek, Tuol-
umne County.

• The 426- and 532-ounce nuggets from French
Ravine, Sierra County.

• The gold-quartz boulder that held more than
$8000 in gold from Pilot Hill, El Dorado County.

• A 360-ounce oblong smooth piece of native gold
from Sullivan Creek, Tuolumne County.

Production
County (in million*)

Plumas $105

Riverside 7

Sacramento 135

San Bernardino 20

San Diego 5

San Joaquin 5

Shasta 60

Sierra 150

Siskiyou 100

Stanislaus 14

Trinity 75

Tulare 1

Tuolumne 1 90

Ventura 3

Yuba 145

Other counties that hive yielded some gold— ill less than S1 million worth— are
Colusa, Mendocino, Modoc, Monterey, Napa, Orange, San Francicso, San
Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara. Santa Ouz, Sonoma,
Tehama, and Volo Counties.

Nuggets

• A 150-pound quartz-gold mass from Wood's
Creek, Tuolumne County, that yielded 75 pounds of
gold.

• A 52-pound mass of gold quartz from the Diltz
mine, Whitlock district, Mariposa County.

To find a large nugget was not a blessing for all
men. The Second Report of the State Mineralogist
(California State Mining Bureau, 1882) tells of a
French immigrant who took a piece worth more than
$5,000 from Spring Gulch, in the Columbia district.
The report relates (p. 149): "The discovery of this
nugget proved to be a great misfortune, for the finder
became insane the following day and was sent to
Stockton. The French Consul recovered the nugget
or the money obtained for it, and sent it to his family
in France."

The first discovery of a spectacular gold specimen
in California was in the summer of 1848, when a
young soldier of Stevenson's Regiment found a 25-
pound nugget on the banks of the Mokelumne River.
Later that same year. General E. F. Beale took it to
New York, where it caused much excitement. In 1865
a beautiful cluster of gold crystals weighing 201
ounces was found in the Grit mine at Spanish Dry
Dlggins, El Dorado County. It was sent to New York,
where it was purchased by a Air. Fricot, who had
formerly lived in Grass Valley. Later this specimen
was presented to the California Division of Mines
and Geology by the Fricot family and is now dis-
played in the Division's mineral exhibit in the Ferry
Building in San Francisco. A photograph of this speci-
men is the frontispiece of this bulletin.

The most famous nugget of all, that found by
Marshall at Sutter's Mill in 1848 and which led to
California's gold rush, weighed less than a quarter of
an ounce. It is not known if this nugget still exists.
A flake of gold which Captain Folsom sent to Wash-
ington in 1848 and described as Marshall's first piece
is now in the Smithsonian Institution.

10 California Division of Mines and Geology

Table 4. Large Nuggets and Gold Masses From California.

Source Date Wcisht"

Carson Hill district 1854 1 95 pounds'

Wood's Creek, Sonora district 1 848? 75 pounds*

Willard nugget, Magalia district 1859 54 pounds

Monumental mine. Sierra City district 1 869 1 893 ounces*

Monumental mine. Sierra City district 1860 1596 ounces'

Dilti mine, Whitlock district 1932 52 pounds*

Knapp's Ranch, Columbia district 1 850s 50 pounds

French Ravine, Sierra County 1855 532 ounces

French Ravine, Sierra County 1 851 426 ounces

Pilot Hill, El Dorado County 1867 426 ounces

Sullivan Creek, Columbia district 1 849 408 ounces

Gold Hill, Columbia district 1 850s 360 ounces

Holden Chispa nugget, Sonora district 1 850s? 28 pounds

Mokelumne River, Amador County 1 848 25 pounds

Downieville, Sierra County 1850 25 pounds

Polar Star claim, Dutch Flat district 1876 288 ounces*

Columbia district, Tuolumne County 1853 283 ounces*

Minnesota, Alleghany district 1850s? 266 ounces

Spring Gulch, Columbia district 1 850s 250 ounces

Michigan BluFf, Placer County 1 864 226 ounces

Fricot nugget, Spanish Dry Diggings (crystallized gold) 1865 201 ounces

Remington Hill, Nevada County 1855 186 ounces

Live Yankee claim, Alleghany district 1 854-62 Twrelve nuggets, 30-1 70 ounces

Smith's Flat, Sierra County 1 864 1 40 ounces

Remington Hill, Nevada County 1869? 107 ounces

Little Griiily Diggings, Sierra County 1869 107 ounces

Oregon claim, Alleghany district 1856-62 Several nuggets, 30-100 ounces

Hope claim, Alleghany district unknown 94 ounces

Campo Seco, Calaveras County 1 854 93 ounces

French Ravine, Sierra County 1 860 93 ounces

Smith's Flat, Sierra County 1 861 80 ounces

Lowell Hill, Nevada County 1865 58 ounces

Ruby mine, Alleghany district 1930s, 1940s Several nuggets up to 52 ounces

* M«M of sold «nd quartz but mostly gold.
* * In tf ov ounces or pounds.

Bull. 193

Famous High-Grade Pockets

A considerable number of rich, small ore pockets
or pocket shoots have been developed in mines in
some lode-gold districts. Many of these pocket shoots
were in districts commonly referred to as "high-
grade" belts. The richest and most famous in Cali-
fornia is the Alleghany district in Sierra County.
Much of the output of this district has been from
small but rich pockets. Other noted high-grade dis-
tricts are the Sonora, West Point, Soulsbyville, Kins-
ley, Whitlock, Spanish Flat, and Kelsey-Garden Val-
ley districts. A number of other lode-gold districts.

such as the Grass Valley, Nevada City, Sierra Gty,
French Gulch, Cargo Muchacho, Boaie and several
Mother Lode districts, have yielded appreciable
amounts of high-grade ore.

High-grade pockets usually occur in the veins and
consist of a mixture of vein material and free gold.
In some pockets, sulfide minerals are abundant, but
in others they are absent or nearly so. In a few dis-
tricts telluride or silver minerals are associated with
the gold. Table 5 lists some of the famous high-grade
pockets or pocket ore shoots discovered in California.

1970 Gold Districts

Table 5. High-Grade Pockets.

Lecation Date

Orisinal 16-to-1 mine, Alleshany district 1920$

Original 16-to-1 mine, Alleghany district 1920s

Original 16-to-1 mine, Alleghany district 1930s

Oriental mine, Alleghany district pre-1890

Alhambra mine, Spanish Flat district 1939

Four Hills mine, Sierra City district 1860s?

Tightner mine (now part of the 16-to-1 mine) Alleghany district 1912

Tightner mine (now part of the 16-to-1 mine) Alleghany district 1904

Kelti mine. West Point district 1 860s

Bonanza mine, Sonora district 1 879

Original 16-to-1 mine, Alleghany district 1920s to 1950s

Kate Hardy mine, Alleghany district 1948

Rainbow (now part of the 16-to-1 mine), Alleghany district 1881

Carson Hill mine, Carson Hill district 1850s

Oriental mine, Alleghany district 1930s

North Fork mine, Alleghany district 1870s

Kenton mine, Alleghany district 1930s

Angels mine. Angels Camp district 1910

Green Emigrant mine, Ophir district 1867

Finnegan mine, Carson Hill district 1 867

Red Star mine (now part of the 16-to-1 mine) Alleghany district 1870s

St. Patrick mine, Ophir district 1 872

Plumbago mine, Alleghany district 1920s

Value

Nearly $2 million

Nearly $1 million

$750,000

$734,000

$550,000

$250,000 to $500,000

+ $375,000

$375,000

+ $300,000

$300,000

Several that yielded about $200,000

About $200,000

$116,000

$110,000

$100,000

$80,000 to $100,000

$80,000

$75,000

$60,000

DISTRIBUTION OF GOLD

Clalifornia can be divided into 11 well-recognized
natural divisions or geomorphic provinces. Each of
these provinces has distinctive physiographic and
geological features, and in each the distribution of eco-
nomic mineral disposits, including gold, follows cer-
tain definite patterns associated with the major geo-
logical structures and rock types. The provinces are:
1) Klamath Mountains, 2) Cascade Range, 3) Modoc
Plateau, 4) Coast Ranges, 5) Great Valley, 6) Sierra
Nevada, 7) Basin Ranges, 8) Mojave Desert, 9) Trans-
verse Ranges, 10) Peninsular Ranges, and 11) Colo-
rado Desert. Figure 2 shows these provinces and the
distribution of the gold-bearing areas. Tables 6 to 9
list the principal gold mining districts, lode mines,
hydraulic mines, and drift mines. The figiure and tables
appear on p. 12-14.

Most of California's gold production has come from
four of the 1 1 geomorphic provinces. These provinces
are the Sierra Nevada, which has been by far the
most productive, the Klamath Mountains, Basin
Ranges, and Mojave Desert. Lesser amounts have been
mined in the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges of
Southern California, the Modoc Plateau and the Coast
Ranges. Gold has been recovered along the eastern
margin of the Great Valley, where it was derived
from the Sierra Nevada. Starting on p. 1 5, this book is
divided into seven chapters dealing with the gold-
bearing provinces: 1) Sierra Nevada, 2) Klamath
Mountains, 3) Basin Ranges, 4) Mojave Desert, 5)
Transverse and Peninsular Ranges, 6) Modoc Plateau,
and 7) Coast Ranges. Each chapter has a general in-
troduction, and the district descriptions follow in
alphabedcal order.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

MAP OF

CALIFORNIA

SHOWING

GOLD-BEARING AREAS

AND

GEOMORPHIC PROVINCES

SCALE

40 80 120 Miles

EXPLANATION
I KLAMATH MOUNTAINS
H CASCADE RANGE
HI MODOC PLATEAU
E COAST RANGES
Y GREAT VALLEY
YT SIERRA NEVADA
M BASIN RANGES
Vm MOJAVE DESERT
K TRANSVERSE RANGES
X PENINSULAR RANGES
31 COLORADO DESERT
^ GOLD-BEARING AREA

Figur* 2.

1970

Gold Districts

District

Table 6. Principal Gold Districts.
County

Typ«

Grass Valley Nevada Lode

Jackson-Plymouth Amador Lode

Hammonton Yuba Dredge field

Folsom Sacramento Dredge field

Columbia Tuolumne Placer

La Porte Plumas Placer

Oroville Butte Dredge field

Nevada City Nevada Lode and placer . . .

Alleghany Sierra Lode and placer . . .

French Gulch Shasta-Trinity Lode; some placer.

Bodie Mono Lode

Sierra City Sierra Lode

Angels Camp Calaveras Lode; some placer .

Jamestown Tuolumne Lode

Placerville El Dorado Placer and lode. . . ,

Carson Hill Calaveras Lode

Magalia Butte Placer

Big Oak Flat Tuolumne Placer; some lode .

Forest Hill Placer Placer

Mojave Kern

Iowa Hill Placer

Rand Kern

Soulsbyville Tuolumne.

Snelling Merced . .

Poker Flat

Lode. .

Placer.

Lode. .

Dredge

Sierra Placer.

field.

Production*
(in millions)

$300 +

180

130 +

125

60 +

50 +
50 +
30 +
30 +
30
30
30

27 +
27
25 +
25 +
25 +
23
20 +
20+
20
17
15 +

* Mosl of Iheje figu

ush approximations. Complete production records of most oF the sold districts do not <

Table 7. Principal Lode-Gold Mines,
Mine District

Production*
(in millions)

Empire-Star group Grass Valley

Idaho-Maryland group. . . . Grass Valley

Central Eureka Jackson-Plymouth .

Kennedy Jackson-Plymouth .

Carson Hill group Carson Hill

Argonaut Jackson-Plymouth .

Sixteen-to-One Alleghany

Keystone Jackson-Plymouth.

Standard Cons Bodie

Utica Angels Camp

Sierra Buttes Sierra City

Brown Bear French Gulch

Plymouth Cons Plymouth

Yellow Aster Rand

Lava Cap Nevada City

Golden Queen Mojave

Plumas-Eureka Johnsville

Eagle-Shawmut Jacksonville

Gwin Paloma

Sheep Ranch Sheep Ranch

Gladstone French Gulch

Georgia Slide Georgetown

App-Heslip Jamestown

Bagdad-Chase Stedman

Rawhide Jamestown

$130

34.2

25.1

25 +

18.4

17 +

15 +

13.5

12 +

10 +
8 +
7.4
7
7

6.9
6.5
6.5
6+
6

Continued on p. 14

Table 8. Major Hydraulic Mines.

Mine Location

Alpha Washington district, Nevada County

Badger Hill Badger Hill district, Nevada County

Blue Tent Blue Tent district, Nevada County

Brandy City Brandy City district. Sierra County

Buckeye Hill Scotts Flat district, Nevada County

Cherokee Cherokee district, Butte County

Cherokee Badger Hill district, Nevada County

Chips Flat Alleghany district. Sierra County

Craigs Flat Eureka district. Sierra County

Deadwood Last Chance district. Placer County

Depot Hill Indian Hill district. Sierra County

Dutch Flat Dutch Flat district. Placer County

Elephant Volcano district, Amador County

French Corral French Corral district, Nevada County

Gibsonville Gibsonville district. Sierra County

Howland Flat Poker Flat district. Sierra County

Indian Diggings Indian Diggings district. El Dorado County

Indian Hill Indian Hill district. Sierra County

Iowa Hill Iowa Hill district. Placer County

La Grange Weaverville district. Trinity County

La Porte La Porte district, Plumas County

Last Chance Last Chance district. Placer County

Liberty Hill Lowell Hill district, Nevada County

Lost Camp Emigrant Gap district. Placer County

Confinued on p. 14

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Table 7. Lode-Gold Mines — Continued

District

Soulsby Soulsbyville

South Eureka Jackson-Plymouth.

Bunker Hill Jackson-Plymouth .

Cactus Queen Mojave

Fremont-Gover Jackson-Plymouth .

Jumper Jamestown

Princeton Mt. Bullion

Providence Nevada City

Royal Hodson

Wildman-Mahoney Jackson-Plymoulh .

Zeila Jackson-Plymouth .

Confidence Confidence

Brush Creek Alleshany

Midas Harrison Gulch . . .

Pine Tree-Josephine Bagby

Mt. Gaines Homitos

Black Oak Soulsbyville

Plumbago Alleghany

Original Amador Jackson-Plymouth.

Clearinghouse Clearinghouse. . . .

Angels Angels Camp

Black Bear Liberty

Champion Nevada City

Siskon Dillon Creek

Hite Hite Cove

Production*
(in milGont)

5.5

5.3

5.1

5 +

4.2

4-1-

3.6

3.5

3.3

3.2

3.1

3 +

3-1-

Table 8. Hydraulic Mines — Continued

Min« Location

Lowell Hill Lowell Hill district, Nevada

Malakoff North Bloomfield district, Nevada

Mayflower Forest Hill district. Placer

Michigan Bluff Michigan Bluff district. Placer

Minnesota Alleghany district. Sierra

Moore's Flat Moore's Flat district, Nevada

Morrisfown Eureka district. Sierra

North Columbia North Columbia district, Nevada

Omega Washington district, Nevada

Paragon Forest Hill district. Placer

Port Wine Port Wine district. Sierra

Poverty Hill Poverty Hill district. Sierra

Quaker Hill Scott's Flat district, Nevada

Red Dog You Bet district, Nevada

Relief North Bloomfield district, Nevada

Remington Hill Lowell Hill district, Nevada

Sawpit Flat Sawpit Flat district, Plumas

Scales Poverty Hill district. Sierra

Scott's Flat Scott's Flat district, Nevada

Smartsville Smartsville district, Yuba

Stewart Gold Run district. Placer

Texas Hill Placerville district. El Dorado

Todd Valley Forest Hill district. Placer

Whiskey Diggings Gibsonvllle district. Sierra

Yankee Jim's Forest Hill district. Placer

You Bet You Bet district, Nevada

County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County

Min*

Table 9. Major Drift Mines.
Location Mine

Location

Bald Mountain Alleghany district, Sierra County

Bald Mountain Extension Alleghany district, Sierra County

Big Dipper Iowa Hill district. Placer County

Blue Lead Bangor district, Butte County

Calaveras Central Angels Camp district, Calaveras County

Emma Magalia district, Butte County

Feather Fork Gibsonvllle district, Plumas County

Glenn Duncan Peak district. Placer County

Hepsidam La Porte district, Plumas County

Hidden Treasure Damascus district. Placer County

Hook-and-Ladder Placerville district. El Dorado County

Indian Springs Magalia district, Butte County

Live Yankee Alleghany district. Sierra County

Lyons Placerville district, El Dorado

Magalia Magalia district, Butte

Morning Star Iowa Hill district, Placer

Morris Ravine Morris Ravine district, Butte

Mountain Gate Damascus district. Placer

Occidental Iowa Hill district. Placer

Pacific Slab Last Chance district, Placer

Pershbaker Magalia district, Butte

Royal Magalia district, Butte

Ruby Alleghany district, Sierra

Startown Last Chance district. Placer

Tiedemann Kentucky Flat district. El Dorado

Valleclto Western Vallecito district, Calaveras

County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County
County

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

SIERRA NEVADA PROVINCE

Geology

The Sierra Nevada, the dominant mountain range in
California, is approximately 400 miles long, with steep
multiple scarps on its eastern flank and a gentle
western slope. It has been the source of the bulk of
the state's gold production and contains the richest
and the greatest number of districts.

The main mass of the Sierra Nevada is a huge batho-
lith of granodiorite and related rocks that is intrusive
into metamorphosed rocks of Paleozoic and Mesozoic
age. The metamorphic rocks occur largely along the
western foothills and in the northern end of the range.
They are complexly folded and faulted and consist of
a number of major rock units. The principal units are
the slates, phyllites, schists, quartzites, hornfels, and
limestones of the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous
to Permian); the Amador Group (Middle and Upper
Jurassic) of metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks;
the Mariposa Formation (Upper Jurassic), much of
which is slate; schists, phyllites, and quartzites of the
Kernville Series (Jurassic or older) in the southern
Sierra Nevada; and a vast amount of undifferentiated
pre-Cretaceous greenstones and amphibolites.

In addition, there are numerous intrusions of basic
and ultra-basic rocks, many of which are serpentinized.
The serpentine bodies apparently have been struc-
turally important in the localization of some gold-
bearing deposits and often are parallel to or occur
within the belts of gold mineralization. Also, there are
numerous dioritic and aplitic dikes that are closely
associated with gold-bearing veins.

Lode Deposits

Much of the gold mineralization is in the belt of
metamorphic rocks that extends along the western
foothills and in the northern end of the range, although
some important districts are in granitic rocks. Some
are associated with small intrusions or stocks related
to the Sierra Nevada batholith. The richest as well
as the largest number of lode-gold deposits are in the
northern and central portions of the range. In the
Butte-Plumas County area at the northern end of the
Sierra Nevada, the gold belt is nearly 70 miles wide.
Continuing south it narrows and dies out almost com-
pletely in the Fresno-Tulare County area but appears
again in Kern County in the southern end of the
range. There are a few widely separated districts along
the steep eastern flank of the range.

The most productive lode-gold districts in the
northern end of the Sierra Nevada have been the
Alleghany, Crescent Mills, Downieville, Forbestown,
Graniteville, Grass Valley, Johnsville, Nevada City,
and Sierra City districts. In the central portion the
most productive and best-known districts are in the
Mother Lode gold belt. Although the entire foothill
region of the Sierra Nevada is sometimes loosely
termed the "Mother Lode Country," technically the
Mother Lode is a 120-mile-long system of linked or
en echelon gold-quartz veins and mineralized schist

and greenstone that extends from the town of Mari-
posa, north and northwest to northern El Dorado
County (see fig. 4).

The most production portion of the Mother Lode
has been the 10-mile segment between Plymouth and
Jackson in Amador County. Other major sources of
gold in the Mother Lode have been the Angels Camp,
Bagby, Carson Hill, Coulterville, Georgetown, Green-
wood, Jacksonville, Jamestown, Kelsey, Mount Bul-
lion, Nashville, and Placerville districts.

Although the terms "East Gold Belt" and "West
Gold Belt" have been arbitrarily coined to describe
the gold deposits east and west of the Mother Lode,
each contains extensive systems of gold-bearing veins
(see fig. 4). Unfortunately few systematic studies have
been made of these belts. The principal sources of gold
in the East Gold Belt have been the Grizzly Flat, West
Point, Sheep Ranch, Soulsbyville, Confidence, Clear-
inghouse, Hire Cove and Kinsley districts. The most
important in the West Gold Belt have been the Ophir,
Shingle Springs, Hunter Valley, Hodson, and Hornitos
districts. To the southeast in Madera and Fresno Coun-
ties there are some gold districts, but they have been
much less productive than those to the north.

In the southern Sierra Nevada, in Kern County,
considerable quantities of lode gold have been mined
in the Cove district and from scattered areas to the
west and south that include the Keyesville, Clear Creek
and Loraine districts. Gold has been mined from a few
districts along the east flank of the Sierra Nevada, the
most productive having been the Bishop Creek district,
Inyo County, and the Homer, Mammoth and Jordan
districts in Mono County. Appreciable quantities of
by-product gold have been recovered from the Sierra
Nevada copper belts in the western foothills (see sep-
arate section below) and the Plumas County copper
districts. Some has been recovered from tungsten
mines on the east flank of the Sierra Nevada.

Placer Deposits

The alluvial or placer deposits of the western Sierra
Nevada have contributed more than 40 percent of
California's total gold output. They are divisible into
the Tertiary (older) deposits, which consist predom-
inantly of quartzitic gravels, and the Quaternary
(younger), which are in and adjacent to the present
stream channels. The Tertiary channel deposits have
been mined by hydraulic and drift mining, while the
greatest yield from the Quaternary deposits has been
from dredging. The flush production of the gold rush
was from Recent surface placers that were mined by
small-scale methods. These surface placers have largely
been exhausted.

The most productive Tertiary channel deposits have
been in the Magalia, Cherokee, and Bangor- Wyandotte
districts of Butte County; the La Porte and Sawpit
Flat districts of Plumas County; the Smartsville district
of Yuba County; the Gibsonville, Downieville, Pov-

GuLiFORNiA Division of Mines and Geology

Bull 193

EXPLANATION
Gronltic rocks

Serpentine

Greenstone, omptiibolite,
chlorite schist

Slate, phyllite, quartzite,
tnico schist, some hornfels
and limestone

Tertiary rocks ore not sho»

>s Gold belt or vein system

. ■ .' ■ . rVX^J --)>~?^''-^i^K'?^°v°\TV^^^ GEORGETOWN

I .SlpPHIR'J)^
I f'tPIMTN , '. ■ /

Flgura 3. Map of Major Rock Unlh and Lode Gold B«lts, Northern Sierra Nevada.

.1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

fc'j'is-'.-iH Slat'
V^M rote

EXPLANATION

Gronitic rocks

e, some phyllite ond conglome-
(Moriposo rormotion)

MOTHER LODE
GOLD BELT

Slote, mica schist, quortzile, some
hornfels ond limestone (Coloveros
Formotion in port)

Gold belt or vein system
Tertiory rocks ore not shown

BELT

WEST GOLD^^. ^w>Voo\„K=Av " '^> r

,i-^

Figure 4. Map of Major Rock Units and Lode-Gold Belts, Central Sierra Nevada. The Mother Lode and the related East and West gold

belts ore shown.

California Division ok Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

SACRAMENTO

^1 , ^^ • -

MICHIGAN --^.^^oPIymoulh r" J ^^ (

'*" I AMADOR --' / -"' ^^./'^ J

I " jiasono^ ^/CALAVERAS V

-''' 0'-°'''

SAN JOAQUIN 1^^ ^"'"^ y) TUOLUMNE

„Slockton ^^ ; 0,

X STANISLAUS

LAGRAN6E^^ MARIPOSA

^ \

SNELLING

Figure 5. Mop of Tertiory Chonnelt and Dradge Fi«ld», Sierra Nevada. M\»t Lindgnn, 1911, and Jtnkin, 1935.

Photo 4. Locomotive, Bold Mountain Drift Mine, Alleghany District.
This early steam locomotive, at the mine in Forest, Sierra County, was

one of the few used in California gold mines. The photo dates back
to possibly the 1870s. Photo courtesy of CoW. Stale Library.

erty Hill, Poker Flat, Brandy City, and Alleghany dis-
tricts in Sierra County; the North Bloomfield, North
Columbia, North San Juan, French Corral, Scotts Flat,
You Bet and Washington districts, Nevada County;
Dutch Flat, Gold Run, Forest Hill, Iowa Hill, Damas-
cus, Last Chance and Michigan Bluff districts. Placer
County; Placerville district. El Dorado County; Fid-
dletown and Volcano districts, Amador County;
Mokelumne Hill and Vallecito districts, Calaveras
County, and the Columbia district of Tuolumne
County.

All of the major streams and their tributaries that
flow across the gold-bearing areas have been placer-
mined, many of them several times. The rivers that
have yielded the most gold have been the Feather,
Yuba, and American Rivers, but large quantities have
been recovered from the Bear, Cosumnes, Mokelumne,
Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, and Kem Rivers and
some from the Chowchilla, Fresno, Kings, White, and
San Joaquin Rivers. The two greatest dredging fields
are the Hammonton district on the lower Yuba River,
Yuba County, and the Folsom district adjacent to and
south of the Lower American River in Sacramento
County. Other major dredging fields were on Butte
and Honcut Creeks and the lower Feather River at
Oroville in Butte County; Lincoln, Placer County;
Michigan Bar, Sacramento County; Camanche in Cala-
veras and San Joaquin Counties, La Grange in Stanis-
laus County and Snelling in Merced County.

Alleghany

Location. Alleghany is in southwestern Sierra
County. This district is in a belt of gold mineralization
that extends from Goodyear's Bar, south and south-
east through Forest, Alleghany, Chip's Flat, and Min-
nesota. This gold-bearing belt continues south to the
Washington district in Nevada County. The Downie-
ville and American Hill districts are to the east, and
the Pike district is to the west.

History. The streams in the area were placer-mined
soon after the beginning of the gold rush, and the
Forest diggings were discovered in the summer of 1852
by some sailors. Some of these sailors were "Kanakas"
or Hawaiians who also had deserted their ships in San
Francisco. Forest, first known as Brownsville and then
Elizaville, got its present name in 1853. The Bald
Mountain and other drift mines were highly produc-
tive from then until around 1885. Hydraulic mining
was done at Minnesota and Chip's Flat during these
years. The town of Alleghany was named for Alle-
ghany, Pennsylvania.

Quartz mining was reported to have begun in the
district in 1853 at the German Bar and Irelan mines.
Although the quartz mines were moderately produc-
tive until the 1870s, drift mining was the principal
source of gold then. The rediscovery of the Tightner
vein in 1904 by H. F. Johnson (erroneously given as
1907 in many reports) led to the revival of lode min-
ing, which continued until 1965.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

WSMJ ^M.-^ 'i

Photo 5. Brush Creek Mine, Allegany District. This 1954 view to the south shows the mine yard and the portal of the moin adit at the mine in

Sierra County.

Photo 6. Kate Hardy Mine, Allegany District. This 1954 view of the Sierra County mine looks
west.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Alleghany was the only town in California after
World War II where gold mining was the principal
segment of the economy. After 1960, production from
the district, which had been averaging more than
1500,000 per year, decreased greatly as more and more
mining operations were curtailed. By 1963, the output
was less than 1 100,000 per year. The Sixteen-to-One
mine, the largest gold source in the district, curtailed
normal operations late in 1962, and the Brush Creek
mine, the second largest operation, was shut down in
1964. At the end of 1965 the Si,xteen-to-One mine was
completely shut down, ending an operation that had
lasted more than 60 years. Intermittent operations have
continued at several mines, such as the Kate Hardy,
Oriental, El Dorado-Plumbago, and Mugwump mines.
Several of the mines received Federal exploration
loans. Skin divers are active in the streams of the area.

Alleghany was the most famous high-grade gold
mining district in California. The value of the total

output is unknown, estimated at $50 million. Much
of this production was from small but spectacularly
rich ore bodies.

Geology. The district is underlain by north and
northwest-trending beds of metamorphic rocks of the
Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to Permian), ser-
pentine, and greenstone. In the vicinity of Alleghany
and Forest this formation has been divided into six
units: Blue Canyon Slate, Tightner Formation (chiefly
amphibolite and chlorite schist), Kanka Formation
(conglomerate, chert, and slate). Relief Quartzite,
Cape Horn Slate, and the Delhi Formation (phyllite
and slate). These rocks have been invaded by many
basic and ultra-basic intrusions; the ultra-basic rocks
have been largely serpentinized. Mariposite-bearing
rock, locally known as "bluejay," is commonly adja-
cent to the serpentine. Also present are fine to me-
dium-grained dioritic dikes. The higher ridges are
capped by andesite and basalt, which in places overlies
auriferous Tertiary channel gravels.

Photo 7. Oriental Mine, Alleghany District. This 1954 view of the Sierra County mine looks north. The mine was active in 1969.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

EXPLANATION

BRUSH
CREEK

° ••**'.'• •'

*•'*

Andesite
Grovel

Serpentine

Amphibolite, schist, green-
stone, slate, quortzite

Figure 4. Geologic Map of Alleghony Dirtrlct, Si.rro County. Th, location, of min.. ar. .hown. Aft,r F.rgu»n and Gonn.tt, 1932, ond Cor/.on

and Clark, 1956.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 8. S!xteen-to-One and Gold Crown Mines, Alle-
ghany District. This 1954 view of the two mines looks east.

The original Sixteen-to-On
Crown in the foreground.

Ore deposits. The gold-quartz veins strike in a
northerly direction, dip either east or west, and usually
range from two to five feet in thickness. They occupy
minor reverse faults, and occur in all of the rocks of
the Calaveras Formation, and in the greenstone. The
largest number of mines are in amphibolites of the
Tightner Formation. The most characteristic features
of the ore deposits are the extreme richness, erratic
distribution and small size of the ore shoots. They
range from small masses of gold and quartz yielding
a few hundred dollars to ore bodies that have yielded
hundreds of thousands of dollars. One ore body at the
Sixteen-to-One mine, which had a pitch length of 40
feet, contained nearly $1 million, while another at the
Oriental mine about 14 feet long yielded 1734,000.

The gold occurs in the native state commonly with
arsenopyrite but only small amounts of other sulfides.
In a few places pyrite is abundant. The numerous ser-
pentine bodies and associated mariposite rock are struc-
turally important in the localization of the ore bodies.
The quartz veins tend to fray or bend near serpentine,
and it is in these frayed or bend portions of the veins
that the high-grade ore bodies are often found. High-
grade ore also is found in vein junctions or in sheared
portions of the veins.

Channel gravels. A major tributary of the Ter-
tiary Yuba River extended south from Rock Creek
through Forest and Alleghany and then southeast
through Chip's Flat and Minnesota to Moore's Flat in
Nevada County. This is commonly known as the
"Great Blue Lead" or Forest channel. It was uniformly
rich except where cut by later channels. The largest
gold producers were the Ruby, Live Yankee, and
Bald Mountain drift mines, where many coarse
nuggets were recovered. During the late 1930s a
number of fist-sized gold nuggets were recovered from
the Ruby mine. These were displayed for many years
in the Sierra County exhibit at the California State
Fair in Sacramento.

Mines. Lode: Brush Creek $4 million-f. Dread-
naught $50,000 to $100,000, Docile $100,000 to $200,-
000, Eclipse $20,000 to $50,000, El Dorado $325,000,
German Bar $200,000, Gold Canyon $750,000 to
$1 million. Gold Crown, Golden King $250,000, Irelan
$350,000 to $500,000, Kate Hardy $700,000, Kenton
$1 million to $1.25 million, Mariposa $50,000, Morning
Glory $80,000 to $100,000, Mugwump (both lode and
placer) $50,000, North Fork (both lode and placer)

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Alto

Photo 9. Large Nuggetj, Ruby Drift Mine, Alleghany District. The
pair o( nuggets wos found in the Sierra County mine in 1938. Photo
courtesy of L. L. Huelidonk, Downieville.

$125,000, Oriflamme, Ophir *, Oriental $2.85 million,
Osceola *, Plumbago $3.5 million, Rainbow * $2.5
million. Rainbow Extension*, Red Ledge, Red Star-
Osceola* $200,000, Rising Sun $58,000, Shannon, Six-
teen-to-One $25 million+. South Fork (both lode and
placer), Spoohn, Tightner *, Twenty One*, Wyo-
ming, Yellowjacket. Drift: Bald Mountain $3.1 million,
Bald Mountain Extension $500,000 to $1 million,
Gold Star $250,000+, Highland & Masonic $300,000+,
Live Yankee $750,000 to $1 million. Ruby $1 million+.

Bibliography

Averilt, C. V., 1942, Mines and mineral resources of Sierra County;
California Div. Mines Rept. 38, pp. 17-48.

Carlson, D. W., ond Clork, W. B., 1956, Lode gold mines of the Al-
leghony-Downieville area. Sierra County: California Journal of Mines
and Geology, vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 237-272.

Clark, W. B., and Fuller, W. P., Jr., 1968. The Originol Sixfeento-
One Mine: California Div. Mines and Geology Mineral Information
Service, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 71-75 and 78.

Cooke, H. R., Jr., 1947, The Original Sixteen-to-One gold quartz
vein, Alleghany, California: Econ. Geology, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 211-250.

Ferguson, M. G., 1915, Lode deposits of the Alleghony district, Cali-
fornio: U.S. Geol. Survey, Bull. 580, pp. 153-182.

Ferguson, H. G., ond Gannett, R. W., 1932, Gold-quartz veins of the
Alleghany district, California: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 172,
139 pp.

Lindgren, W., 1900, U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S.,
Colfax folio 66.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, The Tertiory gravels of the Sierro Ne-
vada of California: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 142.

Logon, C. A., 1923, Quartz mining in the Alleghany district: Cali-
fornia Mining Bureau, Report 18, pp. 499-519.

Logon, C. A., 1929, Alleghany District: Colifornio Mining Bureau
Report 25, pp. 156-159.

MocBoyle, E., 1920, Sierra County, Alleghany mining district: Cali-
fornia Mining Bureau, Report 16, pp. 1-5.

Simkins, W. A., 1923, The Alleghony district of California: Pacific
Mining News of Eng. and Min. Journal, vol. 2, pp. 288-291.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Dov^nieville folio, U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Alios of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

• Now part of the Sixtecn-to-One mine.

This district is in the southwest corner of Calaveras
County about six miles south of Copperopolis. It was
named by the author for the Alto mine, a major source
of gold in the area. The region was first placer-mined
during the gold rush, when the gravels underlying
nearby Tuolumne Table Mountain were worked by
drifting. The Alto mine was discovered in 1886 and
operated on a large scale until 1907. It has an estimated
total output of $1 million. The district is underlain by
slate of the Mariposa Formation (Upper Jurassic) with
some interbeds of massive greenstone. The gold occurs
in thin quartz veins or with disseminated p>rite in the
greenstone. Placer gold was recovered from Eocene
quartzitic gravels overlying the slate. Some of the
gravels are capped by latite porphyry of Tuolumne
Table Mountain.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Coloveros County, Alto mine:
California Div. of Mines and Geology County Report 2, pp. 37 and 40.

Lowell. F. L., 1919, Alto gold mine: Colifornio Min. Bur. Rept. 16, p.
629 (erroneously shown as being in Stanislaus County).

Toliaferro, N. L., and Soiori, A. J., 1948, Geologic mop of the Cop-
peropolis quadrangle: California Div. Mines colored quadrangle map
(PL I of Bull. 145).

American Camp

Location. This district is in northwestern Tuol-
umne County in the general vicinity of American
Camp Station, which is about eight miles northeast of
Columbia. It includes the Italian Bar, French Camp,
Star Ridge, Grant Ridge, and Cedar Ridge areas.
The famous Columbia placer-mining district adjoins
it on the southwest.

History. The streams in the district were first
mined during the gold rush. The town of Italian Bar
was the principal settlement at that time. It later was
destroyed by fire. Lode mining began about 1860,
and continued almost steadily until around 1900. There
was some mining in the district again in the 1920s and
1930s, and there has been minor prospecting since. The
Grant mine was prospected for uranium in 1953-54.

Geology. The district is underlain predominantly
by argillite, quartzite, siliceous schist, and limestone of
the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to Permian).
There are also a few small granodiorite stocks. Fine-
grained diorite and aplite dikes are common and are
often associated with the gold-quartz veins.

Ore deposits. Numerous gold-quartz veins and
stringers contain small to medium-sized ore shoots.
The veins strike either west or north-north-east. In
places the ore is rich. The ore contains free gold asso-
ciated with varying amounts of sulfides, especially
galena and chalcopyrite. There are several patches of
Eocene channel gravels that have been mined by
hydraulicking. At the Grant mine black uraninite
associated with gold occurs in quartz.

Mines. Argentum Consolidated, Black Bear, Con-
tention, Gold Ridge, Grant, Gray Eagle, Ham and Bir-
nev $100,000, Hazel Bell, Indian Girl, Keltz $300,000,

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 10. Angels Mine, Angels Camp District. This eastward view of the Colaveros County mine was token in obout 1914. Photo courses/ of

Hillcresi Studio^ Angeli Camp.

Lucky Strike, Mountain Lily, Noonday, Rifle, Sonnet,
Star, Tiffany, Volunteer.

Bibliography

Goldstone, L. P., 1890, Tuolumne County, Keltz mine: California Min.
Bur. Kept. 10, pp. 755-757.

Logon, C. A., 1928, Tuolumne County, gold quartz mines: California
DIv. Mines, Repf. 24, pp. 8-21.

Turner, H. W., and Ransome, F. L., 1898, Big Trees folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 51, 8 pp.

American Hill

Location. The American Hill district is in south-
western Sierra County about five miles east of the
town of Alleghany. It is both a lode and placer district,
but the placer deposits have been more important. It
includes the Cornish House area.

Geology. The district is chiefly underlain by slate.
Serpentine and amphibolite are to the west, and grano-
diorite is just to the east. Extensive gravel deposits are
part of a tributary to the Forest channel of the Ter-
tiary Yuba River, which extends in a southwest direc-
tion through the district. The northern part of the
district is covered by andesite. Dioritic dikes often are
associated with the gold-quartz veins.

Ore deposits. The gravels are quartzitic and con-
tain coarse gold. One of the gravel deposits is as much
as 300 feet thick and covered with clay and sand. The
quartz veins are lenticular and occur either in the
slate or near the slate-granodiorite contact. The ore
bodies contain free gold with pyrite, arsenopyrite, and
galena. Sometimes carbon is found in cavities in the
quartz. Some high-grade pockets have been found, but
most of ore averages less than Yz ounce per ton.

Mines. Placer: American Hill, Bear Creek, Excel-
sior, Mable Mertz, Yellow Jacket. Lode: Comet, Iron-
sides, Jim Crow, Lonesome Pine, Pilgrim, Von Hum-
boldt.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemar, 1900, Colfax folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
I Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 142-143.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1920, Sierro County, American Hill district: Calif.
Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 5-6.

Angels Camp

Location. This district is in southwest Calaveras
Count>' in the vicinity of the town of Angels Camp
and Altaville. It is an important part of the Mother
Lode belt and lies between the San Andreas district to
the northwest and the Carson Hill district to the south-
east. It is both a lode and placer district, but the lode
mines have been more productive.

History. The streams in the area were mined
shortly after the beginning of the gold rush. The town
was founded in 1848 and named for Henry Angel,
who had established a trading post here. Rich surface
ores were mined in the oxidized zones in the 1850s,
and most of the important veins were discovered at
that time. By 1885 Angels Camp had become one of
the major gold-mining districts in the state. The Utica
Mining Company was organized in the middle 1850s,
and for the next 40 years the Utica mine was a major
source of gold. From 1893 to 1895 this mine yielded
more than $4 million worth of gold. All of the major
mines were shut down during World War I. There
was some activity in the district again during the 1930s,
and the Calaveras Central and Altaville drift mines
have been intermittently prospected during the past
15 years. This district has an estimated total output of
at least $30 million, and it may be considerably more.

The colorful jumping frog jubilee held each year at
nearby Frogtown, the count)' fairgrounds, is based on
Mark Twain's tale. The Jumping Frog of Calaveras
County. He is supposed to have first related the story
at the Angels Hotel.

Geology. This district is underlain by a series of
northwest-striking beds of amphibolite and chlorite
schist, phyllite, greenstone, and metagabbro (see fig.
7). To the east and west are slate, impure quartzite,

Caufornia Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

EXPLANATION

Amphibolite and chlorite schist,
some greenstone

Slote, schist, impure quortzite

^ Lode-gold mine

Figure 7. Geologic Map of Angelt Camp District, Coloveroi County. The map shows the central portion of the district and the locations of lode-
gold mines. After Clark and lydon, 1962, figure 2.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 11. Gold Cliff Mine, Angels Camp District. This view, in the
1870s or 1880s, shows the open cut at the Calaveras County mine. The

wallrock is massive greenstone and amphibolite. Photo courtesy of 7u
otumne County Museum.

and micaceous schist. In the north and northeast part
of the district is the west and northwest-trending Ter-
tiary Central channel, which is a tributary of the ances-
tral Calaveras River. The channel gravels are cemented,
contain abundant quartz, and are overlain by rhyolite
tuff and andesite.

Ore deposits. The lode deposits consist of massive
quartz veins, zones of parallel quartz stringers and
bodies of mineralized schist and greenstone. The ore
contains disseminated free gold and auriferous pyrite.
Usually the gold is in fine particles, although occa-
sional high-grade pockets containing coarse gold have
been found. Calcite, talc, ankerite, and sericite, are

commonly present in the ore. The milling-grade ore
usually averaged 1/7 to 1/5 ounce of gold per ton,
but the ore bodies were scores of feet in thickness,
hundreds of feet in length, and were mined to depths
of several thousand feet.

The deposits occur either in the amphibolite and
chlorite schist or phyllite. There are three principal
vein systems (see fig. 7). In the system on the west
the veins are in phyllite. In the center one the veins
are along the west margin of a northwest-trending
belt of metagabbro. In the eastern system, which con-
tains the famous Utica mine, the ore deposits are in
amphibolite and greenstone.

California Division of Mines and Gfology

Bull. 193

Photo 12. Utico Mine, Angels Comp District. This northeost view,
in about 1900, shows the surface plant ot the Calaveras County mine.
The north shaft is at left and the south shaft, at right. The Utica was

the most productive n
Studio, Angels Camp.

ot Angels Camp. Photo courtesy of Hillcresf

Mines. Lode: Altaville, Angels $3.25 million-j-.
Angels Deep $100,000+, Belmont-Osborn $100,000-1-,
Benson, Big Spring, Bruner, Bullion, Chaparral Hill,
Cherokee, Evening Star, Ghost, Gold Cliff $2,834,-
000+, Gold Hill $100,000+, Great Western, Hardy,
Keystone, Last Chance, Lightner $3 million+, Lind-
sey, Madison $1 million+. Marble Springs, Mohawk,
Mother Lode Central $100,000+, Oriole, Parnell, Pure
Quill, Santa Ana, Sultana $200,000+, Tollgate, Triple
Lode, Tulloch, Utica $17 million, Vonich, Whittle,
Wagon Rut, Waterman, Yellowstone. Drift: Altaville,
Calaveras Central 22,000 ounces+.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1946, Calaveras Central mine: California Div. Mines
Bull. 135, pp. 235-247.

Clark, W. B., and lydon, P. A., 1962, Colaveros County, gold: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 2, pp. 32-93.

Crawford, J. J., 1894, Utica-Stickles mine: California Min. Bur. Rept.
12, pp. 98-99.

Eric, J. H.; Stromquist, A. A., and Swinney, C. M., 19S5, Geology
of the Angels Camp and Sonoro quadrangles: California Div. Mines
Spec. Rept. 41, 55 pp.

Foirbonks, H. W., 1890, Geology of the Mother Lode region: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur., Rept. 10, pp. 59-62.

Julihn, C. E., and Horton, F. W., 1938, Mines of the southern Mother
Lode region: U. S. Bur. Mines Bull. 413, pp. 21-94.

Knopf, Adolph, 1929, Gold Cliff mine: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof.
Paper 157, pp. 71-72.

Logon, C. A., 1935, Mother Lode gold belt— Colaveros County: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines Bull. 108, pp. 125-152.

Ronsome, F. I., 1900, Mother Lode district folio, Californio: U. S.
Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1900, The Mother Lode region— Colaveros County:
Calif. Min. Bur. Bull. 18, pp. 100-127.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Coloveros County, Angels, Gold Cliff, Lightner,
and Utico mines. California Min. Bur., Rept. 14, pp. 68-69, 81-82,
89-90, 110-112.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio, Californio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Badger Hill

Location. This placer-mining district is in north-
central Nevada County. The North Columbia district
adjoins it on the east and the North San Juan district
on the west. It was hydraulicked extensively from the
1850s through the 1880s. Later, Chinese miners re-
worked the tailings. It includes the Cherokee diggings.
This district was recently studied by the U.S. Bureau
of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey as part of their
heavy metals programs.

Geology. The deposits are part of the Tertiary
North Bloomfield-North Columbia-North San Juan
channel. The gravels are thick, the lower part being
quartzitic and the upper part containing abundant
sand and clay. The lower gravels were rich. The up-
per gravels yielded 10 to 15 cents per yard. Bedrock is
slate and phyllitc, with granodiorite lying to the west.
The value of the total output for the district is un-
known, but it has been estimated at several million dol-
lars. In 1891 the U.S. Army Engineers estimated that
10 million yards had been e.vcavated and 33 million
remained.

1970

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevado:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 121-130.

Lindgren, Waldemar, ond Turner, H. W., 1895, Smarhville folio,
California: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Bag by

Location. This district is in western Mariposa
County in the vicinity of the towns of Bagby and
Bear Valley. It is in the Mother Lode gold belt.

History. The streams were placer-mined early in
the gold rush, and the Pine Tree and Josephine veins
were discovered in 1849. Part of the area was on the
Las Mariposa Spanish land grant of General John C.
Fremont. Bagby was first known as Benton Mills,
named by Fremont for Senator Thomas Hart Benton,
his father-in-law. It was renamed in the 1890s for
A. Bagby, a hotel owner. The town was a stop on the
Yosemite Valley Railroad, which once extended up the
Merced River canyon to Yosemite National Park.

Gold mining activitv' continued until around 1875.
There was mining in the district again in the early
1900s. The Pine Tree-Josephine mine was worked on
a major scale from 1933 to 1944, and the Red Bank
mine has been active in recent years. Part of the area,
including the old town of Bagby, was inundated by
the Exchequer Reservoir in 1967.

Geology. In this district the Another Lode gold
belt is .about 1 Yi miles wide. It is underlain by
northwest-striking beds of slate, phyllite, and meta-
sandstone of the Mariposa Formation (Upper Juras-
sic), with greenstone and green schist both to the west
and southeast (see fig. 18, page 95). A belt of serpen-
tine extends northwest through the central portion of
the district and is structurally important in relation to
some of the gold-bearing veins.

Ore deposits. There are several northwest-trending
vein systems that consist of quartz veins and stringers
with brecciated slate, schist, and associated bodies of
p\ritic ankerite and mariposite-quartz rock. These
vein systems are often scores of feet in thickness.
The ore contains free gold, pyrite, and arsenopyrite
with small amounts of chalcopyrite, galena, millerite,
sphalerite, and niccolite. Milling ore averaged 1/7 to
1/2 ounce of gold per ton. In places high-grade ore is
abundant. The ore shoots had stoping lengths of up
to 600 feet, and the veins were mined to an inclined
depth of 1500 feet.

Alines. Dolman, French $116,000-1-, Jumper, Juni-
per, Live Oak, Mexican I $50,000, Oso $50,000-|-,
Pine Tree-Josephine $4 million-}-. Queen Specimen,
Red Bank $100,000-|-, Specimen.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1957, Mariposa County, Pine Tree ond Josephine
mine: California Journal of Amines and Geology, vol. 53, pp. 151-155.

Costello, W. O., 1921, Mariposa County, Bagby district: California
MIn, Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 91-92.

Knopf, Adolph, 1929, Mariposa Estate mines: U. S. Geol. Survey
Prof. Paper 157, pp. 83-84.

Logan, C. A., 1935, Pine Tree and Josephine mines: California Div.
Mines Bull. 108, pp. 186-189 and plate X.

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Ronsome, F. I., 1900, Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1900, The Mother Lode region-Mariposo County:
Calif. Min. Bur. Bull. 18, pp. 143-146.

Bangor-Wyandotte

Location. This district is in southeastern Butte
County about 10 miles southeast of Oroville. It is an
extensive area of placer deposits that occur in the
vicinity of the old towns of Bangor and Wyandotte.
The Honcut dredging district is just to the southwest.

History. The district was originally mined during
the gold rush. Extensive drift and hydraulic mining
was done from the middle 1850's through the 1890s.
Bangor, founded in 1855 by the Lumbert brothers
and named for their home town in Maine, was an
important mining and staging center. Numerous
Chinese were in the district from the 1870s through
the 1890s. This and the adjoining Honcut district
were dredged in the earlv 1900s and again in the
1930s.

Geology. Tertiary gravels covering a broad 3- by
8-mile area are believed to represent an ancient delta
of the Tertiary Yuba River. The channel flowed
northwest through Bangor and then west. Farther west
are shore gravels of Pleistocene age.

The channel gravels were mined by drifting, the
shore gravels by hydraulicking, and the Recent gravels
by dredging. The channel gravels are as much as 150
feet thick, well rounded, well cemented, and con-
sist of intrusive and metamorphic rock fragments with
10 to 20 percent quartz. The gold was flaky and often
rusty. A number of coarse nuggets were found, one
of which was reported to have weighed 14 pounds.
Bedrock consists mainly of greenstone and amphibo-
lite.

Drift viines. Bangor, Blue Lead, Catskill, Gray
Lead, Turner.

Bibliography

Crawford, J. J., 1894, Bangor mine: California Min. Bur., Rept. 12,
pp. 80-81.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1895, Smartsville folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Lindgren, Waidemor, 1911, U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp.
122-123.

Logan, C. A., 1930, Butte County, Blue Lead Mining Company: Cali-
fornia Div. Min. Rept. 26, p. 387.

Bidwell Bar

Location!. Bidwell Bar is in southeastern Butte
County about 10 miles northeast of Oroville and west
of the junction of the South and Middle Forks of the
Feather River. The district includes the Hurleton,
Stringtown and Enterprise areas to the east.

History. Gold was discovered here in 1848 by
General John Bidwell, soon after Marshall's discovery
at Coloma. News of this rich find spread, and there
was a general rush to the Feather River region. Bid-
well Bar, Long's Bar, Thompson Flat, Potter's Bar,
Adamstown, and other settlements were soon estab-
lished. All of these towns have long since disappeared,

California Division of Minf^ and Geology

Bull. 193

as the gravels were exhausted in a few years and the
miners moved elsewhere. The old suspension bridge
and a few remaining buildings later became a state
park. Much of the area was inundated by Oroville
Lake.

Geology. The district is underlain by amphibolite
in the west and granite in the cast. Most of the gold
was obtained from Recent and Pleistocene gravels in
and adjacent to the river. There are a few narrow
gold-quartz veins.

Bibliofrraphy

Turner, H. W., 1898, Bidwell
Atlas of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

Bar fotio; U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.

Big Creek

Location. Big Creek is in eastern Fresno County
about 10 miles northeast of the town of Trimmer and
50 miles northeast of Fresno. Superficial placer min-
ing was done here during the early days and sporadic
lode mining from the 1890s to around 1915.

Geology. A few narrow quartz veins contain free
gold and often abundant sulfides. The country rock
is granite and schist. A number of contact metamor-
phic zones in the region contain tungsten and some
rare barium minerals, including sanbomite. The chief
gold sources were the Contact and Hancock mines.

Bibliography

Bradley, W. W., 1919, Fresno County, Contact mine: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 441-443.

Big Dry Creek

Location. This district is in northeastern Fresno
County about 10 miles northeast of Clovis and t\vo
miles north of Academy. The area was placer-mined
on a small scale during the gold rush and lode-mined
from the 1870s to around 1900. Apparently very little
mining has been done here since.

Geology. The area is underlain by granitic rocks
with thin bands of slate and mica schist. A serpentine
belt lies to the east. A number of narrow north-trend-
ing quartz veins contain free gold and varying
amounts of sulfides. The veins occur near or at the
contacts between granitic and metamorphic rocks. The
ore bodies are shallow, none having been mined to a
depth greater than 150 feet. Copper also has been
mined here.

Mines. Blue Rock, Confidence, Crystal Springs,
Defiance, Monte Cristo, Rip Van Winkle, Thorn.

Bibliography

Goldstone, L P., 1890, Fresno County, Big Dry Creek Mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 193-194.

Irelan, Wm., Jr., 1888, Big Dry Creek mining district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 208-209.

Big Oak Flat
Location. The Big Oak Flat district is in the East
Gold Belt of the Sierra Nevada in southwestern Tuol-
umne County. It includes the Groveland, Deer Flat,
and Second Garrotte areas to the east.

History. This district was first mined shortly after
the beginning of the gold rush by James D. Savage. It
was named for an oak tree that had a trunk with a
diameter of 1 1 feet. The placer deposits here were
highly productive, those at Big Oak and Deer Flat
having been credited with a production of $25 million.
Lode mining began soon afterward, and continued
steadily until World War I. The town of Garrotte
was renamed Groveland by later residents who re-
placed the name given in IK50, when a thief \\a.s
hanged there. Hut a place to the cast, named Second
Garrotte (after 1850) for a similar reason, has kept
its 19tli Century name. This area has prospered from
tourist trade that originates along the Big Oak Flat
road, which serves Yoscmite National Park. The
Hetch Hetchy Railroad, which was used in the con-
struction of the San Francisco Water Department's
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to the east, served the area
for some years. Some lode mining was done in the
district again in the 1930s, and there has been inter-
mittent prospecting and development work at several
mines since.

Geology. The area is underlain by a northwest-
trending belt of schist, argillite, and quartzite of the
Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to Pemiian), in-
truded by several small granodiorite stocks and flanked
on the west by amphibolite, slate, and serpentine of the
Mother Lode belt.

Ore deposits. A considerable number of north,
northwest and west-trending quartz veins are found
in both the metamorphic rocks and the granodiorite.
The ore shoots usually are limited in extent, but often
are rich. The ore contains free gold and often abun-
dant sulfides, especially galena. Most of the veins arc-
only a few feet thick. The surface placers mined dur-
ing the gold rush were extremely rich.

Mines. Bicknell, Champion, Contact, Criss Cross,
Del Monte, Goodnovv, Kanaka, Long Fellow $100,-
000-I-, Mack, Mississippi, Mohrman $40,000, Mt. Jef-
ferson, National, Nonome, Red Jacket, Rhode Island,
Venus, Wide West.

Bibliography

Logan, C. A., 1949, Tuolumne County, lode gold: Colifornio Journal
of Mines ond Geology, vol. 45, pp. 54-73.

Ransome, F. L., 1900, Moth Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Tuolumne County, Big Ook Flat and Groveland
district: Colifornio Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 136.

Turner, H. W., and Ransome, F. L., 1897, Sonoro folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Bishop Creek

This district is on the east flank of the Sierra Nevada
in northwestern Inyo County. It is about 15 miles
southwest of Bishop. The principal source of gold in
the district has been the Cardinal or Wilshire-Bishop
Creek mine, which was worked on a large scale during
the early 1900s and again from 1933 to 1938. It has
an estimated total production of more than $1 milHon.
The ore deposits occur in a zone of quartzite, which
is enclosed in granitic rocks. The ore bodies are up
to eight feet thick and contain fine free gold and
fairly abundant pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, sphal-

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

erite and arsenopyrite. The deposits have been de-
veloped to a depth of 600 feet.

Bibliography

Tucker, W. B., ond Sampson, R. J., 1938, Inyo County, Cardinal
Gold Mining Company: California Div. Mines Rept. 34, pp. 389-390.

Waring, C. A., and Huguenin, Emile, 1919, Inyo County, Wiljhire-
Bishop Creek mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, p. 85.

Blue Mountain

Blue Mountain is in eastern Calaveras County about
10 miles southeast of West Point. A number of narrow
quartz veins exist in granodiorite, schist, and hornfels.
The ore bodies are small and irregular but contain
extremely abundant sulfides. The quartz often has a
dark color. The principal properties have been the
Black Wonder, Gold King, and Heckendorn mines.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., ond Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, lode gold
mines: California Div. Mines ond Geology County Rept. 2, pp. 32-76.

Blue Tent

Blue Tent is northeast of the Nevada City district
in western Nevada County. The area was mined years
ago by hydraulicking, but little or no mining has been
done since. The gravels are part of the Tertiary chan-
nel that e.xtends north-northwest from You Bet
through Scotts Flat and Quaker Hill to North Co-
lumbia. Although the gravels here are extensive, they
were reported not to have been very remunerative.
Lindgren (1911) estimated that 15 million cubic yards
had been removed and 90 million yards remain, much
of it barren clay and sand. The gravel next to bedrock
was reported to have yielded about 50 cents in gold
per yard. To the east and south the gravels are over-
lain by andesite. Bedrock is phyllite and slate.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary grovels of the Sierra Nevodo:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 143.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1900, Colfox folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Brandy City

Location. This district is along the extreme west
margin of Sierra County about 12 miles west of
Downieville and 10 miles by road north of Campton-
ville. It is on the ridge between Canyon Creek on the
north and the North Fork of the Yuba River on the
south. It is principally a placer-mining district and was
extensively hydraulicked from the 1850s until the early
1890s. Some work was done again from the early 1900s
to the 1930s. The value of the total production of the
district is unknown, but it probably amounts to several
million dollars' worth of gold.

Geology. The main channel of the Tertiary- North
Fork of the Yuba River, which is also known as the
La Porte channel, extended in a south-southwest direc-
tion from Poverty Hill into this district and thence to
Indian Hill. Pay gravel here is 700 to 800 feet wide,
up to 200 feet thick, and overlain by 40 to 60 feet of
andesite. The upper 130 feet of gravel are mostly peb-
bles; the lower portion is bouldery and well cemented.

The entire deposit is reported to have averaged 25^/
yard in gold at the old price of gold, and near bed-
rock it was reported to have contained as much as
$2.50/yard in gold. Bedrock is slate and serpentine
with amphibolite both to the east and west.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 101.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1918, Sierra County, The Brandy City district: Cali-
fornio Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 6-8, 66.

Toylor, George P., The Brandy City hydraulic mines. Sierra County:
Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 89, June 4, 1910, pp. 1152-1153.

Turner, H. W., 1898, Bidvrell Bar folio, Colifornio: U. S. Geol. Sur-
vey Geol. Alios of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

Brown's Valley

Location. Brown's Valley is in north-central Yuba
County about 15 miles northeast of Marysville. The
Hammonton dredge field is just to the south. The area
was mined during the gold rush, when very coarse
placer gold was recovered. It was named for a pros-
pector who reportedly recovered $12,000 from a
quartz vein in a few weeks in 1850. Much lode mining
was done here in the 1860s and 1870s, and intermittent
activity continued through World War I. The Danne-
broge mine was reopened in 1945 and has been inter-
mittently active since. The lode mines are estimated
to have yielded $3 million to $5 million.

Geology. The central portion of the district is
underlain by a northwest-striking belt of fine-grained
greenstone that is classified as metadiabase and andesite
porphyry. Amphibolite lies to the east, valley alluvium
to the west, and gravels of Yuba River to the south.

Ore deposits. A number of nearly west-striking
quartz veins in greenstone dip either north or south.
The veins range from one to 10 feet thick. The ore
contains free gold, pyrite, some galena, and chalco-
pyrite. Much of the recovered values have been free
gold, but the sulfide concentrates often run high. Stop-
ing lengths average around 150 feet, and the veins have
been mined to inclined depths of 1700 feet.

Mines. Cleveland, Dannebroge, Hibbert and Bur-
ns, Jefferson, Permsylvania, Too Handy.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1895, Smortsville folio; California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

O'Brien, J. C, 1952, Yuba County, Dannebroge mine: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 149-151.

Preston, E. B., 1890, Brown's Valley: California Min. Bur. Rept.
10, pp. 798-799.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Yuba County, Brown's Valley: Colifornio Min.
Bur. Rept. 15, p. 422.

Brownsville

Location. The Brownsville district is in northeast-
ern Yuba Countv' about 35 miles northeast of Marys-
ville and 27 miles southeast of Oroville. It includes the
lode-gold deposits here and in the Hansonville-Rack-
erby area, and the New York Flat placer "diggings".
The towTi was named for I. E. Brown, who established
a sawmill here in 1851.

Geology and ore deposits. The chief rocks in the
area are greenstone with several gabbrodiorite intru-
sions. Amphibolite and some slate lie to the east. A

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

number of north- and a few west-striking quartz veins
commonly occur near intrusive-metamorphic contacts.
The veins are one to seven feet thick and contain free
gold with varying amounts of pyrite and other sul-
fides. The ore shoots are limited in size. Milling ore
usually yielded y^ to Va ounce of gold per ton, but
some high-grade pockets were encountered.

Mines. Abbott, Arbucco, B. A. C, Beaver, Bee-
hive (Mt. Hope) $100,000, Easy Money, Golden
Key, Horseshoe, Manzanita, Napa and Oro, Ora Lewa,
R. C, Rogers, Seaborg and Davis, Spanish, Twentieth
Century Wonder, William Arthur.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1895, Smarlsville folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlos of Ihe U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Yuba County, gold-quartz mines: Colifornia
Min. Bur. Repl. 15, pp. 443-456.

Buckeye

This is a small lode-gold district in southwestern
Mariposa County about eight miles south of the town
of Mariposa. The principal gold sources in the district
were the Granite King and Live Oak mines, which
were worked from the 1870s through the early 1900s
and again from 1938 to 1941. The gold-quartz veins
are two to five feet thick, strike to the northeast, and
occur in granodiorite. The ore contains native gold,
pyrite, galena, and sphalerite. Milling ore averages
about !4 ounce of gold per ton with occasional pockets
of high-grade ore.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1957, Mariposa County, Granite King and Live
Oak mines: California Jour. Mines ond Geology, vol. 53, pp. 104-105.

Butte Creek

Location. Butte Creek is in north-central Butte
County. It is chiefly a dredging district that extends
along Butte Creek from about three miles southeast of
Chico northeast to Centerville and Helltown, a distance
of almost 12 miles. The Magalia district is contiguous
on the northeast. The streams were placer-mined dur-
ing the gold rush, and hydraulic mining and some drift
mining of Tertiary gravels followed. The creek was
worked with primitive power shovels and washing
plants in the early 1900s. It was dredged from around
1902 to the early 1920s, again in the 1930s, and from
1945 to 1949.

Geology. The deposits consist mainly of stream
and bench gravels in and along Butte Creek. They
range from a few hundred feet wide at the upper end
to nearly a mile at the lower end. The gravels are
coarse, well rounded, and consist of andesite with some
chert and minor quanz. Also there are Tertiary shore
and bench gravels in the Centerville and Hellto\vn
areas. Dredging depths ranged from 13 to 35 feet, with
an uneven bedrock. The last operations were reported
to have yielded as much as 35 cents of gold per yard.

Dredging concerns. Butte Creek Cons., 1909-16,
one bucket-line; Lancha Plana, 1941-49, one bucket-
line; Pacific Gold Dredging Co., 1902-17?, two bucket-
line; Piedmont Dredging Co., 1941, one Becker-Hop-

kins; Thurman and Wright, one dragline; Yuba Cons.,
1941, one Becker-Hopkins.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldamor, 1911, U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, pp.
84-86.

Woring, C. A., 1919, Butte County, Gold dredging: Colifornio Min.
Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 187-193, 194, 197.

Winston, W. B., 1910, Gold dredging in California, Butte Creek
district: California Min. Bur. Bull. 57, pp. 159-162.

Butt Valley

Location. This district is in northwestern Plumas
Count)'. It is an extensive area that lies between Lake
Almanor on the north and the Virgilia-Twain area on
the south and southwest. The district includes the
Caribou and Seneca areas. The Crescent Mills district
is just to the east, and the Meadow Valley district lies
to the south.

History. During the gold rush vast amounts of
placer gold were recovered from the Feather River
and its tributaries. The valley was named for Horace
Butts, a successful early-day miner. The town of
Seneca was an important center at that time. The Butt
\^alley Reservoir was constructed by the Great West-
ern Power Company in 1921. Lode-gold mining, which
originally began in the 1850s, continued through the
1930s. Since then there has been intermittent prospect-
ing at a few properties such as the Sunnyside mine.
Skin divers and weekend prospectors have been active
along the streams.

Geology. The district is underlain by a series of
metamorphosed sediments ranging from Silurian to
Triassic in age. Slate is most abundant, but also pres-
ent are sandstone, limestone, quartzite, and conglom-
erates. In addition, there are greenstones and serpen-
tine.

Ore deposits. The gold-quartz veins occur in brec-
ciated zones in all of the formations, but they are most
abundant in the slates and greenstones. The ore con-
tains free gold and varying amounts of sulfides, in-
cluding arsenopyrite. Milling ore averaged usually only
a few dollars per ton, but the ore bodies were extensive.
Some of the veins and vein zones arc 20 or more feet
thick. An appreciable number of high-grade pockets
were found. In places the placer deposits, both Terti-
ary and Recent in age, were extremely rich.

Mines. Lode: Chico Star, Dean, Del Monte, Dun-
can, Elizabeth Cons., Halstead, Hazzard, Horseshoe,
Justice, Lictum, Plumas Amalgamated, Reising, Rich
Gulch Cons., Savercool, Seneca Cons., Shenandoah,
Summit, Virgilia, White Lily $225,000-f-. Placer:
Barker Hill, Cameron $100,0()0-(-, Dominion, Ellis,
Lot, Providence Hill, Red Rock, Sunnyside $150,-
000-I-, Swiss, Dutch Hill $575,000-}-.

Bibliography

Avorill, Charles V., 1937, Plumas County, gold: California Div.
Mines Rept. 33, pp. 103-124.

Logon, C. A., 1928, Plumas County, gold: Colifornia Div. Mines and
Mining, Repl. 24, pp. 285-310.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1920, Plumas County, Butt Valley district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 1-4.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Calaveritas

Location. This is a placer-mining district in cen-
tral Calaveras County, in the vicinity of the old town
of Calaveritas. It includes the Old Gulch area to the
north. At one time there were many Mexican miners
in the area.

Geology. The district is underlain by slate, gra-
phitic schist, quartzite, limestone, green schist and
granodiorite. Numerous gravel patches, remnants of
the west-trending Fort Mountain channel of Tertiary
age, were mined by hydraulicking and sluicing dur-
ing the early days. The recent stream gravels were
worked by drag-line dredges during the 1930s. There
are a few narrow gold-quartz veins.

Mines. Earnhardt, Calaveritas Hill Consolidated,
Oro Fino, Railroad Hill, Richie Hill.

Bibliography

Clark, L. D., 1954/ Geology and mineral deposits of the Calaveritas
quadrangle: California Div. Mines Spec. Rept. 40, 23 pp.

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Colaveras County, placer gold:
California Div. Mines and Geology County Report 2, pp. 76-93.

Camanche-Lancha Plana

Location. This district extends along the Mokel-
umne River from the vicinity of Lancha Plana, Ama-
dor County, west through the Camanche-Wallace
area, Calaveras County, to Clements, San Joaquin
County, a distance of about 12 miles.

History. The creeks were first worked during the
early part of the gold rush, and hydraulic mining of
the terrace gravels followed. The town of Camanche
was named for a town in Iowa. Later, the Chinese
mined the river and reworked the old tailings. From
1904 to 1923, the river was dredged on a large scale
by the American Dredging Company. Dragline dredg-
ing was done during the 1930s and bucket-line dredg-
ing from then until 1951. Much of the region was
recently inundated by the Camanche reservoir. The
output from dredging is estimated to be about $10
million.

Geology. The deposits consist of unconsolidated
gravels in and adjacent to the Mokelumne River and
floodplain deposits. Tightly packed shore gravels of
Eocene age are found near Wallace. In the west por-
tion of the dredging field, the gravels ranged from six
to 50 feet deep while, in the east, they were six to
25 feet deep. Bedrock is clay and volcanic rock.
Values recovered by dredging ranged from 10 to 25
cents per yard. The gold was fine grained and 850
to 900 in fineness.

Operations. American Dredging Co., 1904-23,
three bucket-lines; Camanche Placers Ltd., 1935-, one
bucket-line; Gold Gravel Products, 1935; Gold Hill
Dredging Co., 1936-51, two bucket-lines; Lancha
Plana Gold Dredging Co., 1926-40, one? bucket-line;
Wallace Dredging Co., 1935-40, two bucket-lines.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., 1955, Son Joaquin County, Gold Hill dredges: Cali-
fornia Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 37-39.

Logan, C. A., 1927, Calaveras County, American Dredging Company:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 23, p. 198.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Tucker, W. B., 1919, Oro Water, light, and Power Company dredges:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 127-128.

Winston, W. B., 1910, Gold dredging in California, Calaveras County:
California Min. Bur. Bull. 57, pp. 205-208.

Compo Seco-Volley Springs

Campo Seco and Valley Springs are in northwestern
Calaveras County. Substantial amounts of gold have
been produced in this district from a variety of min-
eral deposits. These deposits include Recent stream
gravels, quartz-rich gravels of Eocene age, narrow
quartz veins, and massive copper and zinc sulfide de-
posits of the noted Penn mine, from which gold was
recovered as a by-product.

The older quartzitic gravels were mined by hy-
draulicking and ground sluicing in the early days
and later by draft mining. The Recent gravels were
worked by dragline dredges.The Penn mine is cred-
ited with a production of 60,000 ounces of gold.

The principal rocks underlying the district are
green schist, slate, serpentine and greenstone. The
quartz-rich gravels which overlie these rocks occur
in patches and are the remnants of an Eocene river
channel system. Some of these gravels are capped by
andesite. The massive sulfide deposits at the Penn
mine and the gold-quartz veins are in greenstone and
schist.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1963, Calaveras County, placer
gold: California Div. Mines and Geology County Report 2, pp. 76-84.

Heyl, G. R., et ol., 1948, Copper in Colifornia, Penn zinc-copper
mine: California Div. Mines Bull. 144, pp. 61-84.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Alios
of the U. S. folio 11, 6 pp.

Comptonville

Camptonville, in northeast Yuba County and west-
ern Sierra County, adjoins the Pike district on the
east. Rich gold discoveries were made here in 1850-51.
The town was named in 1854 for Robert Campton,
the local blacksmith. The Pelton wheel, long used in
mining machinery and electric generators, was in-
vented here by Lester Pelton. The old town is now a
tourist attraction. A number of moderate-sized de-
posits of Tertiary channel gravel were mined by
hydraulicking. These include the deposits at Young's
Hill, Weed's Point, and Galena Hill. They are part of
the Tertiary Yuba River that extended southwest from
Indian Hill to this district and then to North San
Juan. Bedrock is amphibolite, slate, greenstone, and
granodiorite.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemar, and Turner, H. W., 1895, Smortsville folio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Canada Hill

Location. This district is in eastern Placer County
25 miles northeast of Forest Hill and about 10 miles

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Corson Hill Mine and Mill, Corson Hill Districf. This northward view of the Colaveros County
1920s. Pholo courtesy of Hillcnsf Studio, Angefi Camp.

south of Cisco. It includes the Sailor Flat, Robertson
Flat, Sailor Canyon and New York Canyon areas.

Geology. The Canada Hill channel, a branch of
the Tertiary American River, is believed to have
flowed northeast and east across Sailor Canyon and
then southeast to join the southwest-flowing main
Tertiary channel near French Meadows. The channel
is steep, narrow, and has not been too productive.
The gravels are usually angular and poorly washed.
Bedrock is slate and quartzitic schist of the Blue Can-
yon Formation (Carboniferous) and schist of the
Sailor Canyon Formation (Lower Jurassic). The
gravels are capped by rhyolite and andesite. There are
some gold-quartz veins that contain abundant sulfides.

Mines. Beauty, Carmac, Lost Emigrant, Merz,
Monumental, Pacific Blue Lead, Placer Queen, Reed,
Sailor Canyon, Trinidad, Walker, X-Ray.

U. 5. Geo!. Survey Geo!.
U. S. Geol. Survey Geo!.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1900, Colfax folic
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1897, Truckee folio:
Atlos of the U. S., folio 39, 8 pp.

lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevoda:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, pp. 157-158.

logon, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, placer mines:
Californio Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 49-96.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Placer County, placer mines: California MIn.
Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 325-386.

Carson Hill

Location. Carson Hill is on the Mother Lode belt
in southwestern Calaveras County. The district con-
sists of that portion of the Mother Lode that extends
from Carson Flat southeast through Carson Hill to the
town of Melones on the Stanislaus River. It has also
been known as the Melones district.

History. Carson Hill was named for James H. Car-
son, a soldier who came to California in 1847 and who
discovered gold at nearby Carson Creek in 1848. Lode
gold was first discovered in 1850 at the Morgan mine
and many miners soon came to the area. By 1851, the
town of Melones had a population of 3,000 to 5,000.
It was named for the melon seed-shaped gold nuggets
found here. The district was extremely productive
then, much of the mineral coming from fantastically
rich surface pockets. Gold to the amount of $110,000
was exposed by one blast, and in 1854, a 195-pound
mass of gold, the largest ever taken in California, was
found here. Telluride minerals were recovered in
quantity, but most were lost in unsuccessful attempts
to extract the gold.

The gold production from the district declined in
the late 1850s. Large-scale mining of low-grade ore
bodies began in 1889 at the Calaveras mine. The
Melones mine was worked on a major scale from 1895

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

to 1918. The Morgan, Calaveras, and Melones mines
were consolidated in 1918 and worked as a unit until
1926. They were operated again from 1933 until 1942.
This was one of the richer portions of the Mother
Lode, the Carson Hill group alone having yielded an
estimated total of $26 million. Part of Carson Hill will
be inundated by the New Melones Reservoir.

Geology. The district is underlain by a series of
northwest-striking beds of phyllite, amphibolite, green
schist, and serpentine. Widespread hydrothermal alter-
ation has changed much of the serpentine to e.xtensive
bodies of mariposite-ankerite-quartz rock. Slate of the
Mariposa Formation (Upper Jurassic) lies to the west
and metasediments of the Calaveras Formation (Car-
boniferous to Permian) to the east.

Ore deposits. The deposits consist of thick, mas-
sive, and often barren quartz veins, with adjacent
large bodies of auriferous schist and pyritic ankerite-
mariposite-quartz rock containing numerous thin
quartz seams and stringers. Milling ore usually was
low in grade, but the ore bodies were extensive. The
famous Hanging Wall ore body, which consisted of
auriferous schist, averaged Yz ounce of gold per ton
and had dimensions of 175 x 4500 x 15 feet. Much rich
high-grade ore from surface pockets was recovered in
the 1850s. Tellurides, which included calaverite, syl-
vanite, hessite, and petzite, were recovered in quantity
during the early days, near the surface. Both calaver-
ite and melonite, a rare nickel telluride, were first
found and described from this district.

Mines. Carson Hill Mines $26 million (Calaveras,
Finnegan, Melones, Morgan, Reserve, Stanislaus
Mines), Carson Creek $1 million, Hardy, Santa Ana,
Tulloch.

Bibliography

Burgess, John A., 1937, Mining methods at the Carson Hill mine,
Calaveros County, California: U. S. Bur. Mines Inf. Circ. 6940, 15 pp.

Clorlc, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, Corson Hill
mines: California Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 2, pp. 44-50.

Eric, J. H., Stromquist, A. A., and Swinney, C. M., 1955, Geology
and mineral deposits of the Angels Camp and Sonora quadrangles,
Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties, California: California Div. Mines
Spec. Rept. 41, 55 pp.

Knopf, Adolph, 1929, Mines on Carson Hill: U. S. Geo!. Survey Prof.
Paper 157, pp. 72-77.

logon, C. A., 1935, Carson Hill mines: California Div. Mines Bull.
108, pp. 129-137.

Moss, F. A., 1927, The geology of Carson Hill: Eng. and Min. Jour.,
vol. 124, no. 26, pp. 1010-1012.

Ronsome, F. L., 1900, Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geot. Survey
Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 1 1 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1900, Melones Consolidated mines: California Min.
Bur. Bull. 18, pp. 121-122.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Young, G. J., 1921, Gold mining ot Carson Hill: Eng. ond Min.
Jour., vol. 112, pp. 725-729.

Cathey

The Cathey or Cathay district is in southwestern
Mariposa County about 10 miles southwest of Mari-
posa and near the town of Catheys Valley. The area
was first placer-mined during the gold rush, and lode
mining began in the 1850s. The principal mines were
the Francis, Moore Hill, and Rich mines, which were
last worked in the 1930s. A number of north-trending
quartz veins up to 9 feet thick, in granodiorite and
schist, contain native gold and sulfides. The sulfides,
which include pyrite, arsenopyrite, and galena, some-
times are extremely abundant.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1957, Mariposa County, lode gold mines: Cali-
fornia Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 53, pp. 72—186.

Photo 14. Suction Dredge, Calaveras County. Floating suction dredges, like this one c
River near Melones in 1966, have been active in streoms of the gold-mining districts

he Stanislou
recent year:

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 15. Cherokee Hydraulic Mine, Cherokee District. This view of the Butte County mine dates back probobly to the 1870$. Photo courfeiy of

Co/if. Sfofe libfory.

Cat Town

This district is in northwestern Mariposa County
at the site of the old mining camp of Cat Town.
Although the Kinsley-Greelcy Hill district adjoins
it on the north and the Coulterville portion of the
Mother Lode is on the west, this district is on a sepa-
rate northwest-trending vein system. It may be on
the same belt of mineralization as the Whitlock dis-
trict to the southeast (see fig. 4). The height of mining
activity here was in the 1880s and 1890s. The Gold
Bug mine and several others were active in the 1930s,
and there has been some prospecting since. Also the
area was recently prospected for molybdenum.

The deposits consist of gold-bearing quartz stringers
in schist, slate, metachert, and greenstone. The values
usually occur in small but rich pockets and are closely
associated with albititc and diorite dikes. The deposits
have not been mined to depths of greater than 100
feet. The principal gold sources have been the Black
Bart, Gold Bug, and White Porphyry mines.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1957, Mariposa County, Gold Bug and White
Porphyry mines: California Jour. Mines end Geology, vol. 53, no. 102
and 181-183.

Turner, H. W., and Ronsome, F. L, 1897, Sonc
Survey Geo!. Atlos of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Cherokee

folio: U. S. Geol.

Location and history. This district is in central
Butte County, 1 2 miles north of Oroville on the north
side of Table Mountain and in the vicinity of the
town of Cherokee or Cherokee Flat. It was so named
for a party of Cherokee Indians who migrated here
in the 1850s to mine gold. It has also been known as
the Spring Valley district. Most of the ouput has come
from the single large hydraulic mine, which is esti-
mated to have yielded about $15 million. The town
reached its heyday in the middle 1870s when it had a
population of about 700.

Geology. The Tertiary placer deposits are asso-
ciated with a west-trending channel. In this area the
channel is in a trough about 700 feet wide. The se-
quence from bottom to top of the hydraulic pit is as
follows: irregular greenstone gravel 5-10 feet thick
that is lean in gold and contains local black clay
streaks and minor basalt blocks; a rich 20- to 30-foot
layer of coarse fresh blue gravel with large greenstone

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

blocks, coarse and fine gold, small diamonds, and
minor platinum (this layer yielded as much as several
dollars per yard); several feet of decomposed gravel;
SO feet of sand and quartzitic gravel, the lower part
of which yielded 25 cents per yard; 200 feet of clayey
sand; and 50 to 75 feet of massive basalt.

Between 400 and 500 small diamonds were recovered
from the gold-bearing gravels at the Cherokee mine.
Several of the stones were more than two carats in
weight and of good quality, but most were small and
had a pale-yellow tinge. This is the best-known dia-
mond-bearing locality in California.

Bibliography

Creely, R. S., 1965, Geology of the Oroville Quadrangle: California
Div. Mines and Geology Bull. 184, 86 pp.

Irelan, William, 1886, Spring Valley hydraulic mine: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 6, pp. 24-25.

Lindgren, Woldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 86-87.

Miner, J. A., 1890, Spring Valley hydraulic gold mine: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 124-125.

Preston, E. B., 1893, Channel of Spring Valley Hydraulic Mining
Company: California Min. Bur. Rept. 11, pp. 155-157.

Weatherbe, D'Arcey, 1906, A "hydraulic mine in California: Min. and
Sci. Press, vol. 93, Sept. 8, 1906, pp. 296-298.

Chinese Camp

Chinese Camp is in western Tuolumne County about
10 miles southwest of Sonora. It was a placer-mining
center settled by Chinese miners in 1849. Much work
was done in the 1850s, and the piles of soil and gravel
turned over in the search for gold can still be seen in
nearly every gulch. The old mining town of Chinese
Camp is quite well-preserved.

Much of the placer gold was recovered from ex-
tremely rich quartzitic gravels of Eocene age. Some
gold also was mined from gravels of late Tertiary age.
Most of the early-day work was done by hydrauHck-
ing and ground sluicing; during the 1930s there was
some dragline dredging. Bedrock consists of serpen-
tine, greenstone, and slate. There are a few gold-quartz
veins in the area. The value of the total output from
placer mining is estimated at $2.5 million.

Bibliography

Turner, H. W., and Ronsome, F. L, 1897, Sonora folio, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Chowchilla

In recent years small amounts of placer gold have
been mined from the lower Chowchilla River west of
Raymond in western Madera County. The gold has
been recovered by several small- to medium-sized
floating suction dredges, which consist of pontoons
that carry suction pumps and gold-recovery equip-
ment. The river gravels range from 10 to as much as
35 feet in depth. This area was first placer-mined
during the gold rush, when the Grub Gulch district
to the northeast was active.

Bibliography

Logan, C. A., 1950, Madera County, gold: California Jour. Mines
and Geology, vol. 46, pp. 453-456.

Clear Creek

Location. The Clear Creek or Havilah mining dis-
trict is in east-central Kern County, about 26 miles
east-northeast of Bakersfield and five miles south of
Bodfish. It is an extensive region that includes the Red
Mountain and Walker Basin areas. It is also a tungsten
district.

History. Gold was discovered in Clear Creek in
1863 or 1864 by Claude de la Borde, George McKay,
Benjamin Mitchell, and Hugh McKeadney. The town
of Havilah was established in 1865 and soon became
an important center with a population of at least 3000.
It was the seat of Kern County from 1867 until 1874.
The area declined in the 1880s, but was intermittently
active for many years afterward. Some work has been
done in recent years at the Joe Walker and Rand
mines.

Geology. The area is underlain by quartz diorite
with roof pendants of metasedimentary rocks in the
north and south portions of the district. A body of
gabbro lies to the northeast. The gold deposits are
mostly confined to the quartz diorite west of Havilah
and in the Walker Basin. They consist of quartz veins
up to six feet thick, which contain free gold and vary-
ing amounts of sulfides.

Mines. Friday, Jackpot, Joe Walker $600,000-|-,
Porter, Rand group 1 125,000, Rochfort, Southern
Cross, Washington.

Bibliography

Dibblee, T. W., Jr., and Chestermon, C. W., 1953, Breckenridge
Mountain quadrangle: California Div. Mines Bull. 168, 56 pp.

Troxel, B. W., and Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, Cleor Creek
district: California Div. Mines and Geology County Rept. 1, pp. 25-27.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1933, Kern County, Joe Walker
mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 310-311.

Clearinghouse

Location and history. Clearinghouse is in central
Mariposa County a few miles west of El Portal and
Yosemite National Park. It was named for the Clear-
inghouse mine, the largest source of gold in the dis-
trict. The Merced River, which flows through the
area, was extensively placer-mined during the gold
rush. The Clearinghouse mine was discovered in 1860
and worked on a fairly large scale until about 1880.
There was mining activity again during the early 1900s
and 1930s, and there has been intermittent prospecting
and development work since. Substantial quantities of
limestone and barite and some tungsten are found here.
At one time the Yosemite Valley Railroad extended
through the area to El Portal, the line's eastern termi-
nus. From El Portal, passengers were taken by stage to
Yosemite Valley.

Geology and ore deposits. The principal rocks un-
derlying the district are graphitic schist, slate, quartz-
ite, and hornfels of the Calaveras Formation (Carbon-
iferous to Permian). There are some granitic dikes, and
the main mass of the Sierra Nevada granitic batholith
is a few miles to the east.

California Division of Mines and Gf.ology

Bull. 193

The gold deposits occur in north-striking quartz
veins that usually range from one to five feet in thick-
ness. The ore contains free gold and often abundant
sulfides. Appreciable amounts of high-grade ore have
been found here, and milling-grade ore commonly con-
tained one ounce or more of gold per ton. Several of
the veins have been developed to inclined depths of
about 1 200 feet.

Mines. Clearinghouse $3.35 million, Gold Star,
Old Timer, Rutheford and Cranberry, South Cran-
berry, Uncle Jim, West Rutherford.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1957, Mariposo County, lode mines: California
Jour. Mines ond Geology, vol. 53, pp. 72-187.

Laizure, C. McK, 1928, Mariposa County, gold lode mines: California
Div. Mines and Mining Rept. 24, pp. 79-122.

Clipper Mills

Clipper Mills is in southeastern Butte and northeast-
ern Yuba County, about eight miles east-northeast of
Forbestown. Several moderate-sized deposits of Terti-
ary channel gravels have been mined by drifting and
hydraulicking. The Pratt and Gentle Anna drift mines
and the Pittsburg Hill hydraulic mines have been the
principal placer-gold sources. A few narrow gold-
quartz veins have yielded small but rich pockets. The
district is underlain by slate, serpentine, and gabbro-
diorite.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 99-100.

Turner, H. W., 1898, Bidwell Bar folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

Coarsegold

Location. This district is in east-central Madera
County in the vicinity of the town of Coarsegold
about 30 miles northeast of Madera. It is in the central
portion of a 20-mile long belt that extends from Grub
Gulch on the northwest to Fine Gold on the southeast.
It includes part of the area once known as the Potter
Ridge district. Coarse and heavy placer gold was re-
covered from shallow deposits during the gold rush.
Lode mining began in 1853, when the Texas Flat mine
was discovered. The district has been intermittently
mined and prospected ever since.

Geology. The area is underlain by medium to
coarse-grained granodiorite with some narrow belts of
slate and schist. A number of north-trending quartz
veins that contain free gold and varying amounts of
sulfides are enclosed in both the metamorphic and
grantic rocks. The veins were mined to depths of 1000
feet.

Mines. Baker, Balfron, Daisy Bell, Five Oaks,
Golden Road, Melvin, Morning Star, New Citizen,
Texas Flat $200,000-^.

Bibliography

Irelon, William, 1888, Texas Flat mine: Colifornia Min. Bur. Rept.
8, pp. 212-213.

Laizure, C. McK., 1928, Modero County, gold: California Div. Mines
Rept. 54, pp. 324-328.

McLoughlin, R. P., and Bradley, W. W., 1916, Madera County, Texas
Flot mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 551.

Colfax

Location. The Colfax district is in southwestern
Placer County in the vicinit\' of the town of that name.
It includes the deposits in the Weimar-New England
Mills area and placer-mining areas along the American
and the Bear Rivers. The Colfax district also has been
know as the Illinois district.

History. Placer mining began here soon after the
beginning of the gold rush. The locality was first
known as Alder Gulch and later Iliinoistown. The
Rising Sun mine was discovered in 1 866. Colfax, which
was named for U. S. Senator Schuyler Colfax who
visited the place in 1865, was an important center dur-
ing the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad.
Considerable mining continued in the district until
about 1900. Small-scale placer mining, some done by
skindivers, has continued until the present time.

Geology. Slates of the Mariposa Formation (Upper
Jurassic) are found in the central portion of the dis-
trict, and slate of the Cape Horn Formation (Car-
boniferous) crops out to the east. A gabbro intrusion
lies to the north and northwest, a diabase body to
west, and serpentine lenses and amphibolite to the east
and southeast. A fairly extensive patch of Tertiary
channel gravel is exposed on the north side of Colfax
Hill. The extensive quartz gravels in the Bear River
are hydraulic mine tailings from the You Bet and
Lowell Hill districts.

Ore deposits. The ore bodies occur in a number of
northeast-striking quartz veins that usually range from
two to five feet in thickness. The ore contains free
gold and often abundant sulfides. Considerable high-
grade ore was found near the surface during the early
days.

Mines. Lode: Annie Laurie, Big Oak Tree $100,-
000-t-, Bauer, Black Oak, Brushy Creek, Chubb,
Hinchy, Last Chance, Live Oak Ravine, Rising Sun
$2 miliion-f , Victory, Whiskey Tunnel. Placer: Bear
River Ext., Bear River Tunnel, Burnt Flat, Collins,
Rocky Bar.

Bibliography

Chondro, D. K., 1961, Geology and minerol deposits of the Colfax
and Foreslhill quadrangles: Colifornio Div. Mines Spec. Rept. 67, 50 pp.

Irelon, William, Jr., 1888, Rising Sun and Big Oak Tree mines:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 462-464.

lindgren, Waldemar, 1900, Colfax folio, Colifornio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Goel. Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Logon, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, Rising Sun mine:
Colifornia Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 34-35.

Collierville

Location. Collierville is in the East Gold Belt of
the Sierra Nevada in south-central Calaveras County
and north-central Tuolumne County. It is about five
miles due east of Murphys.

Geology. The area is underlain by west-striking
beds of siliceous slate, banded quartzite, and mica

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

schist, with several limestone lenses. Granodiorite stocks
up to two miles in diameter lie in the northeast and
southeast. A number of west-striking and north-dipping
or northeast-striking southeast-dipping quartz veins in
the metamorphic rocks contain free gold and often
abundant sulfides. The quartz is white to dark gray in
color. Some high-grade pockets were recovered here,
and tellurides have been reported.

Mines. Collier, Dorsey, Golden Sulphuret, Louise,
North Chimney Rock, Sailor Boy, True Business.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, gold:
California Div. Mines ond Geology, County Rept. 2, pp. 32-93.

Turner, H. W., and Ransome, F. L., 1898, Big Trees folio, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 51, 8 pp.

Coloma

Location. This district is in the vicinity of the old
mining town of Coloma in western El Dorado County.
It is on the South Fork of the American River about
eight miles northwest of Placerville.

History. Although this is a relatively small dis-
trict, it is significant, for it was here that James W.
Marshall made his historic gold discovery. In August
1847, Captain John Sutter, grantee of a large Mexican
land grant in the vicinity of present-day Sacramento,
signed a contract with Marshall to erect a sawmill on
the American Ri^^er. Work commenced in Septem-
ber 1847'. The mill was almost finished on January
24, 1848, when Marshall, inspecting the mill taih-ace,
noted several small flakes of what appeared to be gold.
Work on the mill stopped, and more flakes were re-
covered. These were taken to Sutter at Sacramento
for more tests, which proved beyond a doubt that it
was gold. Attempts were made to keep the discovery
a secret, but the news quickly leaked out.

Soon Sonorans from the Los Angeles placer-mining
districts arrived, the vanguard of the thousands of
gold seekers who came from all directions to Coloma.
The surface placers here were soon exhausted, and the
miners went elsewhere. Coloma was named for a near-
by Southern Maidu Indian Village. Early spellings
were "Colluma" and "Culoma". Some gold dredging
was done on the American River here during the
1930s and 1940s.

Marshall never was associated with a really success-
ful mining venture and died in 1885 in the nearby
town of Kelsey, a poor man. The Marshall Monument,
where he is buried, was dedicated in 1890. Part of the
old town, the mill site and the monument joined the
California state park system in 1927. A replica of
Sutter's mill was recently constructed at the park.
Also at the park is a museum containing many items
of early-day mining equipment.

Geology and ore deposits. The central portion of
the district is underlain by a granodiorite intrusion. It
is surrounded by slate, mica schist, amphibolite, and
several north-trending lenticular bodies of serpentine.

Most of the gold values were obtained from gravels
in the American River or from terrace gravels along
the bank. A few narrow gold-quartz veins crop out

and several contact-metamorphic copper-gold deposits
are found along the margin of the granodiorite.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Corlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, gold:
California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 52, pp. 400-437.

Lindgren, Waldemar, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio,
California: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Cutter, Donald W., 1948, The discovery of gold in California: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines Bull. 141, pp. 13-17.

Columbia

Location. This famous placer-mining district is in
north-central Tuolumne County, in the vicinity of
the old mining town of Columbia, five miles north of
Sonora. It includes the Yankee Hill, Sawmill Flat,
Squabbletown, Brown's Flat, and Springfield areas.
The Sonora district is just to the south and the Ameri-
can Camp district lies to the northeast.

History. Columbia was one of the richest and
most famous placer-mining districts in California.
Early in 1850 a group of Mexican miners who had
been forced off their claims at Sonora struck it rich
here. Americans moved in and in turn forced them to
leave. For a short period, the district was known as
Hidreth's Diggings and American Camp, but it soon
became "Columbia, Gem of the Southern Mines".
During the 1850s and early 1860s, the diggings were
enormously productive, the output averaging $100,000
or more per week. Columbia was one of the largest
cities in California at this time, with an estimated popu-
lation of 25,000 to 30,000. The district declined in the
late 1860s, but small-scale mining continued until re-
cently. The central portion of the old town became a
state park in 1945 and is now a popular tourist attrac-
tion. Many of the famous old buildings have been
restored. The value of the total production of the
district has been estimated to be at least $87 million,
and some have put the figure as high as $150 million.

Geology. Columbia lies in a preserved Tertiary
valley with pre-volcanic features. It is a flat valley
that is underlain chiefly by crystalline limestone and
dolomite of the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous
to Permian). The limestone has numerous deep pot-
holes and cavities, which contained enormously rich
gravel. Several very large nuggets and gold masses
were taken here, including one that weighed over 50
pounds and several weighing more than 300 ounces.
Slow degradation of the area in pre-volcanic times
tended to concentrate coarse gold in this flat basin. It
is south of the main Tertiary Stanislaus River. Verte-
brate fossils were found in the gravels. In the early-
day mining operations, the gravels were hoisted from
the potholes and washed through sluices and long
toms on raised platforms.

Bibliography

Holey, C. S., 1923, Gold placers of Colifornio: Colifornio Min. Bur.
Bull. 92, p. 148.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 212-213.

Logon, C. A., 1928, Tuolumne County, placer mines: Colifornio Min.
Bur. Rept. 24, pp. 32-43.

California Division of Mines and Geology

BuU. 193

Photo 16. Placer Mining, Columbia District. This early photo was taken in Columbio, Tuolumr

office. Phoio courf9sy of Tuo/umne County Museu

.-fu.-go Expreu Company

Photo 17. Hummocky Limestone, Columbia District. Rich, gold-bearing gravels occurred in deep cavities i
bedrock, like these at Columbia, Tuolumne County.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 18. Virginia Mine, Coulterville District. This photo of the Mariposa County mine was taken in 1919. Photo by

W. O. Castello.

Louderback, G. D., 1933, Notes on the geologic section near Colum-
bia, California, with special reference to the occurrence of fossils in the
auriferous gravels: Carnegie Inst. Washington, Publ. no. 440, pp. 7-13.

Ransome, F. L., 1897, Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Turner, H. W., ond Ransome, F. L., 1898, Big Trees folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 51, 10 pp.

Confidence

Location Mid History. The Confidence district is
in west-central Tuolumne County between Twain
Harte and Long Barn and about 15 miles northeast of
Sonora. It is in the Sierra Nevada East Gold Belt and
adjoins the Soulsbyville district on the northeast (see
fig 24, p. 122). This region was first placer-mined dur-
ing the gold rush, and lode mining began shortly after-
ward. The Confidence mine was worked on a large
scale until around 1912. Some of the mines were ac-
tive in the 1930s, and the district was later prospected
for tungsten.

Geology. The mines in this district are located
chiefly in a southwest-extending arm or "peninsula"
of granitic rocks of the main Sierra Nevada batholith
(see fig. 24). The principal rock is granodiorite; slate,
mica schist, phyllite, and quartzite lie to the south.
Fine-grained dioritic dikes are present and commonly
are associated with the gold-quartz veins. Also pres-
ent are small bodies of tungsten-bearing tactite, which
occur as roof pendants in the granitic rocks.

Ore Deposits. The ore bodies occur in north to
northwest-striking quartz veins that usually range
from one to five feet in thickness. The ore contains
free gold and often abundant sulfides, especially ga-
lena, which often is associated with gold. The Con-
fidence vein was mined to an inclined depth of 1200
feet.

Mines. Casa Madera, Corona, Confidence 14.25
million. Excelsior 1420,000, Fair Oaks, Gem, Gerald-
ine. Green |200,000, Humbug, Lucky Strike, Morn-
ing Glory, Red Cloud, Ripperton, Ryan, Thunderbolt,
Too Far' North, Wall Street.

Bibliography

Logan, C. A., 1949, Tuolumne County, Confidence mine: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 45, pp. 61-62.

Preston, E. B., 1893, The Confidence mine: Californio Min. Bur.
Rept. 11, p. 503.

Storms, W. H., 1900, Confidence mine: California Min. Bur. Bull. 18,
pp. 136-137.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Tuolumne County, Confidence mine: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 142.

Turner, H. W., and Ransome, F. L., 1898, Big Trees folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 51, 8 pp.

Coulterville

Location. This district is in southwestern Tuol-
umne Count)' and northwestern Mariposa County. It
is that portion of the Mother Lode gold belt that
extends from the vicinity of the McAlpine mine south-
east through Peiion Blanco and the town of Coulter-
ville to Virginia Point, a distance of about 10 miles.

History. The surface portions of the veins and the
streams were worked during the gold rush. The town
was named for George Coulter, who opened a store
there in 1849. Quartz-mining began about 1852 with
the discovery of the Malvina and Alary Harrison veins.
Considerable lode mining was done from the 1860s
through the 1890s, when many of the mines belonged
to the Cook estate. There was some activity from the
early 1900s until 1942. In recent years some work has
been done at the V^irginia, McAlpine and a few other
mines.

Geology. In this district, the Mother Lode system
is associated with an extensive northwest-trending
lenticular body of serpentine. In a number of places
the serpentine has been hydrothermally altered to
mariposa-quartz-ankerite rock. Slate and greenstone lie
to the west, and amphibolite schist and greenstone are
to the east. Also present are smaller amounts of chlor-
ite schist, phyllite, and metadiorite and aplitic dikes.

0?-e Deposits. The ore deposits consist of pyrite-
bearing bodies of mariposite-quartz-ankerite rock,
with numerous parallel quartz stringers and adjacent
massive quartz veins. The gold occurs in the free state
or with the pyrite and usually is found in the quartz
stringers, although in places there are values in the
massive veins. A number of high-grade pockets have
been found in this district, some of which came from
the gossan that overlies some of the deposits. Tellu-
rides also have been found here. Milling ore usually
ranges from V^ to Yz ounce of gold per ton. The ore
shoots had stoping lengths of up to 400 feet and were
mined to inclined depths of more than 1200 feet. The

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

massive veins form prominent ridges; Penon Blanco
Ridge is visible for many miles.

Mines. Mariposa County: Adelaide, Big Lode,
Champion I $150,000 to $200,000, Flyaway group,
Louisa $100,000, Malvina $1 million, Mary Harrison
$1.5 million, Midas, Oro Rico, Potosi, Tvro $110,-
000+, Virginia $824,000. Tuolumne County: Mc-
Alpine $100,000+.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1957, Mariposa County, Virginia Mine: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 53, nos. 1-2, pp. 176-179.

Costello, W. O., 1921, AAariposa County, Coullerville district: Cali-
fornio Min. Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 92-93.

Logan, C. A., 1935, Mother Lode gold belt— Mariposa County: Coli-
fornio Div. Mines Bull. 108, pp. 18&-190.

Lowell, F. L., 1916, Mariposa County, Mary Harrison quartz mine:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 588.

Ronsome, F. L, 1900, Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 1 1 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1900, The Mother Lode region— Mariposa County:
California Min. Bur. Bull. 18, pp. 142-147.

Cove

Location ajid History. The Cove district is in
northeastern Kern County between the towns of
Kernville and Isabella on the west side of the Isabella
Reservoir.

The upper Kern River here was placer-mined dur-
ing the 1850s. The Big Blue vein was discovered by
Lovely Rogers in 1860, and much activity followed
during the 1870s and early 1880s. The mines were
worked intermittently from then through the 1930s,
the Big Blue group having been operated on large
scale from 1934 until 1943. There has been only minor
activity since. The main mines of the district have
been consolidated into the Big Blue-Sumner group,
which includes the Lady Belle group. The district has
an estimated output valued at $8 million.

Geology ayid Ore Deposits. The principal mines
are in granodiorite. To the east and south are schist,
phyllite, quartzite, and marble of the pre-Cretaceous
Kernville Series. Aplite dikes are often associated with
the gold-bearing veins.

The ore deposits consist of extensive vein systems
as much as 150 feet wide that occur in shear zones
in granodiorite. The ore consists of quartz with finely
disseminated free gold, arsenopyrite, pyrite, chalco-
pyrite, and gelana. The milling ore usually averages
1/10 to 1/3 ounce of gold per ton with some high-
grade streaks. Some scheelite also is present in the
gold ore. The veins have been mined to depths of
about 500 feet. There are two main vein systems:
those of the Big Blue-Sumner and the Lady Belle
groups.

Bibliography

Brov/n, G. C, 1916, Kern County, Cove district; Beauregord, Big
Blue, Blue Gouge and Bull Run mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14,
pp. 482 and 487-490.

Crowford, J. J., 1893, Big Blue mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 11,
p. 142.

Miller, William J., and Webb, Robert W., 1940, Descriptive geology
of the Kernville quadrangle: California Div. Mines Rept. 36, pp. 343-
378.

Prout, John W., Jr., 1940, Geology of the Big Blue group of mines,
Kernville: California Div. Mines Rept. 36, pp. 379-421.

Troxel, B. W., and Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, gold: Colifor.
nio Div. Mines and Geology County Rept. 1, pp. 92-196.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1940b, Mineral resources of the
Kernville quadrangle: California Div. Mines Rept. 36, pp. 322-333.

Crescent Mills

Location. This district is in north-central Plumas
County. It contains a northwest-trending belt of lode
and placer deposits that extends from the vicinit\' of
the town of Crescent Mills northwest through Green-
ville to Almanor, a distance of about 10 miles. At one
time it was also known as the Cherokee district.
Crescent Mills has been the most productive of the
districts in the northern end of the Sierra Nevada.

Geology. This area is underlain by a series of
northwest-trending beds of Paleozoic and Mesozoic
metamorphic rocks. They are: pre-Devonian meta-
rhyolite; Silurian metasedimentary rocks; Taylorsville
Formation (Devonian) slate and sandstone; Taylor
Meta-andesite (Carboniferous); Calaveras Formation
(Carboniferous to Permian) metasedimentary rocks
(four formations); greenstones (Carboniferous); Tri-
assic metasedimentary rocks; Jurassic granodiorite and
serpentinized basic and ultra-basic intrusives. Overly-
ing the bedrock are patches of Tertiary and Quarter- I
nary gravels.

Ore Deposits. A number of northwest-striking
quartz veins occur principally in the greenstones,
slates, and granodiorite. Some of the veins are as much
as 20 feet thick. The ore contains free gold, auriferous
pyrite, and smaller amounts of other sulfides. The sur-
face ores were especially rich, and numerous high-
grade pockets were encountered during the early
days. Milling-grade ore usually contained slightly less
than !4 ounce per ton, but the ore shoots had stoping
lengths of up to 300 feet. Iron and copper also occur
in the district.

Mines. Altona, Arcadia, Cherokee $250,000, Cres-
cent $500,000+, Dagian, Droege $300,000+, Gold
Stripes, Green Mountain $1 million to $2 million,
Hobson, Indian Falls, Indian Valley $1.8 million+,
Leete, Long Vallev, Monitor, Mountain Lilv, New
York $400,000+, Pearless, South Eureka, Wardlow,
Whitney.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1928, Plumas County: California Min. Bur. Rept. 24,
pp. 261-316.

Averill C. V., 1937, Mineral resources of Plumas County: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 33, pp. 79-143.

Diller, J. S., 1905, Mineral resources of the Indian Valley region,
California: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 260, pp. 45-49.

Diller, J. S., 1908, Geology of the Taylorsville region: U. S. Geol.
Survey Bull. 353, 128 pp.

Irelon, Williom, 1888, Green Mountain mine, etc.: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 479-481.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada,
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 114-116.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1919, Plumas County, Crescent Mills district; Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 4-8.

Damascus

Location. This district is in cast-central Placer
County at the site of the old town of Damascus, about
seven miles southeast of Dutch Flat. It includes the

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

lode mines of the Pioneer-Humbug Bar area on the
north and the extensive placer deposits that extend
from Damascus south through Forks House to the
Sunny South-Gas Hill area.

History. The streams in this area were originally
mined during the gold rush, and drift mining began
in the late 1850s. The Hidden Treasure drift mine was
discovered in 1875 and was worked on a major scale
through the early 1900s. There was some mining ac-
tivity in the district again during the 1930s, and there
has been intermittent prospecting since. This area has
been quite productive; the drift mines alone have had
a total output of more than $12 million and the lode
mines several million dollars more.

Geology. An early Tertiary gravel channel extends
from Damascus south to Gas Hill and eventually
southwest to Michigan Bluff. An intervolcanic chan-
nel that apparently eroded away portions of the earlier
channel enters the area from Westville to the east. The
lower earlier "white" channel is more than 300 feet
wide. It contains abundant quartz. The gravels in this
early channel yielded 50 cents to $1.75 per ton at the
old price, and the gold was coarse. The upper chan-
nels are commonly known as "blue" channels. Bed-
rock is slate and schist, and the gravels are capped by
rhyolite and andesite. The channel has been mined by
drifting almost continuously from Damascus south to
Hidden Treasure, a distance of more than four miles.
The quartz veins, which occur in slate, range from
two to eight feet in thickness and contain free gold
and often abundant sulfides. The ore usually is low to
moderate in grade, but the ore shoots had stoping
lengths of up to several hundred feet. The Pioneer
mine was developed to a depth of 1400 feet.

Mines. Lode: American Eagle, Black Hawk, Cen-
tral, Dover, Floyd, Lynn, Mars, North Star, Pioneer
$1 million. Rawhide $300,000+, Southern Cross.
Placer: Bullion, Cameron, Comet, Gas Hill, Golden
River, Hermit, Hidden Treasure $4 million, Mountain
Chief $700,000+, Mountain Gate, Rainbow, Tickell.

Bibliography

Browne, Ross E., 1890, The ancient rivers of the Forest Hill Divide:
California Min. Bur. Kept. 10, pp. 435-465.

Crawford, J. J., 1894, Golden River and Hidden Treasure mines:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 12, pp. 208-210.

Logon, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, Hidden Treosure
mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 65-66.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 190O, Colfax folio, Colifornio: U. S. Geol. Sur-
vey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevado:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, pp. 150-159.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Placer County, Damascus district and Placer
County drift mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 317 and 352-375.

Deer Creek
Deer Creek is in western El Dorado County and
eastern Sacramento County. The creek, which flows
southwest, was first placer-mined during the gold rush.
In the 1930s and early 1940s, substantial amounts of
gold were recovered here by dragline dredges. One
operation was reported to have recovered about 4500
ounces of gold from 790,000 cubic yards of gravel.

Bibiography

Averill, C. V., 1946, Plocer mining for gold in Colifornio: California
Div. Mines Bull. 135, pp. 255-257.

Deer Valley

Location. This is a small lode-gold district in west-
ern El Dorado County about 10 miles northwest of
Shingle Springs. The area was first worked during the
gold rush, and it has been intermittently prospected
since.

Geology. This district is on the north end of a
large gabbro-diorite intrusion. Greenstones and ser-
pentine lie to the east. There are a number of narrow
gold-quartz veins containing small and shallow ore
bodies. A few small high-grade pockets have been
found. Sulfides, especially galena, which is associated
with gold, are abundant.

Mines. Boneset, Delores, Morman Hill, Rose Kim-
berley.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Corlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, lode
gold mines; California Jour. Mines ond Geology, vol. 52, pp. 401-429.

Lindgren, Woldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Diamond Mountain

Location and History. This district is in southern
Lassen County about five miles south of Susanville. It
is in the Diamond Mountain block, which lies at the
extreme north end of the Sierra Nevada. Placer-min-
ing began in the late 1850s, and several hundred thou-
sand dollars in gold were soon recovered. Later some
work was done by Chinese miners. Lode-mining began
in the 1860s and continued sporadically through the
early 1900s with some activity again in the 1930s. The
output of the district is estimated at around $1 million.

Geology. The district is underlain by quartz dio-
rite and granite, which is overlain in places by Terti-
ary gravel and andesite. The quartz veins are as much
as 15 feet thick and occur in shear zones chiefly in
the quartz diorite. The ore contains free gold and
varying amounts of pyrite. Milling ore usually was
low to medium in grade, but some high-grade pockets
were found. The ore shoots were not large and none
of the mines has been developed to any great depth.
Some aplitic and basic dikes are associated with veins.
Opal also is in the veins.

Mines. Arkansas $200,000+, Gold Belt (McDow)
$20,000, Honey Bee $50,000+, Honey Lake, Har-
ris-Mosgrove, Red Jacket (Gayman).

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., ond Erwin, H. D., 1936, Lessen County, Diamond
Mountoin district: California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 409-424.

Diller, J. S., 1908, Geology of the Toylorsville region, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 353, pp. 68-69.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiory grovels in the Sierra Nevada,
California: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73.

Preston, E. B., 1890, Lossen County: California Min. Bur. Rept. 10,
pp. 273-276.

Tucker, W. B., 1919, Lassen County, Diamond Mountain mining
district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 235-236.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Dobbins

Location. This district is in northeastern Yuba
County in the vicinity of the town of Dobbins. The
town was named for the Dobbins' brothers who set-
tled herein 1849. It also has been known as the Indiana
Ranch district.

Geology. The principal rock type here is grando-
diorite, with smaller amounts of quartz diorite and
diorite intrusive into greenstone and slate. A number
of north- and west-trending narrow quartz veins arc
found in granodiorite or along granodiorite-greenstone
contacts. The ore contains free gold and varying
amounts of sulfides and occasionally tellurides and
scheelite.

Mines. California Mother Lode, Good Title, Hig-
gins, Liberr\-, Lillian Francis, Red Cross, Red Ravine
$100,000, Summit Hill, Templar.

Bibliography

Lmdgren, Woldemar, 1895, Smartsville folio, Colifornia: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio .18, 6 pp.

Downieville

Location. This is a lode and placer gold-mining
district in west-central Sierra Countv in the general
vicinity of the town of Downieville. It includes the
Fir Cap Mountain, Craycroft, China Flat, and Slug
Canyon areas and part of the Pliocene Ridge area. The
Goodyear's Bar-Alleghany belt lies immediately to the
west, the Sierra City district to the east, and the Amer-
ican Hill district to the south.

History. This area was prospected soon after the
beginning of the gold rush. Major William Downie
and his party arrived here in November, 1849. Soon
a town was laid out, which was named for him early
in 1850. The Downieville mining district was orga-
nized with "claims fixed at 30 feet per man". Many
rich strikes were made; one claim 60 feet square
yielded $80,000 in six months. At nearby Tin Cup
Diggings, three men filled a tin cup with gold each
da\- before quitting. A 25-pound nugget was found
in the river upstream from the town in 1850. More
than 5000 persons lived here in 1851. After the surface
placers were exhausted, the river was mined, and hy-
draulic and drift mining became important. Mining
continued almost steadily until World War IT, and
intermittent prospecting and skin diving for gold
continues.

Geology. The district is underlain predominently
b\' north-trending beds of phyllitc, slate and quartzite
of the Calaveras P\)rmation (Carboniferous to Per-
mian). To the west are greenstone, amphibolite, and
serpentine. The higher ridges are capped by Tertiary
andesitc, w hich in places overlies rich Tertiary aurif-
erous gravels. There are fairly extensive recent river
and terrace gravels along the Yuba River and its
branches.

Ore Deposits. A considerable number of gold-
quartz veins occur chiefly in greenstone and slate. The
veins range from one to 10 feet in thickness. The ore
contains free gold and var\ing amounts of sulfides.

The milling-grade ore usually averages 'X to '/s ounce
per ton. Some ore shoots had stoping lengths of as
much as several hundred feet. Some high-grade ore
pockets iiave been taken from some of the mines. The
Tertiary channel gravels are quartzitic, often well-
cemented, and in places contain extremely coarse gold.

Mines. Lode: Alhambra, Bessler, Elcv, Finney
(York) $75,000-f. Gold Bluff $1.5 mill'ion. Gold
Point (Grey Eagle) $100,000-1-, High Commission,
Jumper, Mexican, Oro, Oxford $100,000+, Secret
Canyon, Sierra Standard $75,000. Placer: Brown Bear,
Cit\' of Six, Craycroft, Golden Hub, Kirkpatrick,
Klondike, Mott and Mt. Vernon, Monte Carlo, New
York, White Bear $200,000+, Wide Awake $100,-
000+ .

Bibliography

Averill, C. v., 1942, Sierra County, gold: Colifornio Div. Mines Rept.
38, pp. 17-48.

Carlson, D. W., ond Clark, W. B., 1956, Lode gold mines of the
Alleghany-Downieville area. Sierra County: California Jour. Mines and
Geology, vol. 52, pp. 237-272.

Crowford, J. J., 1894, Gold Bluff mine: Colifornia Min. Bur. Rept.
12, p. 266.

Lindgren, Woldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, p. 111.

Logon, C. A., 1929, Sierro County, Brush Creek, City of Six, and
Grey Eagle mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 25, pp. 160, 161, and
165-166.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1920, Sierra County, Downieville mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 8-11.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Duncan Peak

Location and History. This is an extensive area of
placer deposits in the general vicinity of Duncan Peak
and the Greek Store guard station in eastern Placer
Count>'. It is 20 miles cast of Forest Hill and six miles
southeast of Last Chance. The area extends from just
south of Duncan Peak south through Duncan Canyon
to Ralston Ridge. The area was first mined in the early
1850s. The peak was named for Thomas Duncan, an
early-day miner. During these early days, this region
supported many Greek placer miners. Intermittent
prospecting and development work has continued
until the present time.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The placer deposits
occur in a complex system of Tertiary channels that
extends south and southwest to join the main west-
trending Long Canyon channel in the Ralston Divide
district. There arc a number of tributaries and channel
remnants, one of the main ones known as the Chalk
Bluff channel. The deposits are up to several hundred
feet wide and were extremely rich in places. Usually
the gold is coarse. Quartz is sparse. The bedrock is
quartzitic schist and slate, and the gravels are capped
b\- andesitc. There are some narrow gold-quartz veins
in the district.

Mines. Bald Mountain, Barney, Blue Eyes, Dixie
Queen, Glenn Cons., Gold Dollar, Golden Gate No. 1,
Hard Climb, Hunted Hole, Miller's Defeat, Pine Nut,
Pork and Brown, Red Star, Jack Robinson, Sauer
Kraut, Savage, Trap Line, Yellow Jacket.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1900, Colfox folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlos of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiory channels of the Sierra Nevodo:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 152-153.

Logon, C. A., 1925, Ancient channels of the Duncan Canyon region:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 21, pp. 275-280.

Logan, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, plocer mines:
California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 49-96.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Placer County, placer mines: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 352-386.

Dutch Flat

Location. Dutch Flat is in north-central Placer
County. This district includes the Alta and Towle
areas. The Gold Run district lies just to the south, the
You Bet district to the west, and the Lowell Hill
district to the northeast.

History. Placer mining began here in 1849. The
settlement was established by some Germans or
"Dutch" in 1851. Hydraulicking began in 1857 and,
during the following few years, the hydraulic mines
were highly productive. Operations continued until
1883, when the mines were shut down by anti-debris
injunctions. Some work was done in the district again
in the 1890s and early 1900s. Logan (1936) estimated
the district to have a total output of $4.5 million to
$5 million although it may be more. The old town of
Dutch Flat is well-preserved and is now a popular
tourist attraction.

Geology. This district is located at the junction of
several major channels of the Tertiary American River.
One channel enters the area from the Lowell Hill
district on the northwest, another from Lost Camp
and Shady Run on the east, and a third from the Gold
Run district on the south. The main channel then
continues west and northwest through Little York,
You Bet, Red Dog, and Hunt's Hill. It has been esti-
mated that 90 to 105 million yards have been washed
here. The gravels have a maximum depth of 300 feet,
the lower 150 consisting of coarse blue gravel. The
bottom gravels are well-cemented. Bedrock consists of
slate, gabbro, quartzite, and amphibolite.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1900, Colfax folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiory gravels of the Sierra Nevodo:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 144-146.

Logan, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, Dutch Flat dis-
trict: California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 56-58.

El Dorado

Location and History. This district is in west-
central El Dorado County a few miles southwest of
Placerville. It is in the Alother Lode gold belt and
includes the Logtown area a few miles to the south of
El Dorado. El Dorado, originally known as Mud
Springs, was a camp on the Kit Carson emigrant trail
before the beginning of the gold rush. There was
much activity here during the gold rush and for some
years afterward. The Church, Union and other mines
were worked on a large scale during the 1890s and

early 1900s. There was some work in the district again
in the 1930s, but only minor prospecting since.

Geology. Slate of the Mariposa Formation (Upper
Jurassic) occurs in the central portion of the district.
Massive greenstone of the Logtown Ridge Formation
(Upper Jurassic) is to the west, and granite rocks,
schist and amphibolite lie to the east. The Mother
Lode Belt here bends from the north to the north-
east towards Placerville.

Ore Deposits. Most of the quartz veins in this dis-
trict are confined to the slate, although a few are in
greenstone and schist. They have north to northeast
strikes and usually range from five to 10 feet in thick-
ness. The ore contains free gold and pyrite and has an
average content of about % ounce of gold per ton.
Considerable high-grade ore was recovered from
shallow workings. Much fault gouge is present. The
greatest depth of development is about 2,000 feet.

Mines. Bidstrup, Bucna Vista, Church $1 million.
Crown Point, Crusader, German, Griffith, Larkin,
Martinez, AicNulty, Ophir, Pochahantas, Red Wing,
Starlight, TuUis, Union $5 million?

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Corlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, lode
gold mines: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 52, pp. 401-429.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1894, Placerville folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 4 pp.

Logan, C. A., 1936, Mother Lode gold belt. Church ond Martinez
mines: Colifornia Div. Mines Bull. 108, pp. 21-22 and 30-31.

Storms, W. H., 1900, Church ond Union mines: California Min. Bur.
Bull. 18, pp. 91-92.

Tucker, W. B., 1919, El Dorodo County, Church and Union mines:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 283 and 299.

Emigrant Gap

Location and History. This district is in the east-
central Placer and Nevada Counties in the vicinit>' of
the towns of Emigrant Gap and Blue Canyon. It is
both a lode and placer gold-mining district that was
first worked during the gold rush. There has been
intermittent prospecting and development work here
since. The Zeibright mine was worked on a large scale
during the 1930s. The Washington district is just to
the northwest and the Westville district is to the south.
The Zeibright mine camp is now a boy scout camp.

Geology. The district is chiefly underlain by thick
beds of slate, schist and phyllite of the Blue Canyon
Formation (Carboniferous). To the north and west
these rocks are overlain by andesite and rhyolite tuff.
There are several patches of auriferous Tertiary chan-
nel gravels.

Ore Deposits. There are a number of north-trend-
ing quartz veins in schist and slate that contain free
gold, pyrite, and small amounts of other sulfides. The
veins range from one to 10 feet in thickness and con-
sist of a series of parallel quartz stringers. The milling-
grade ore usually contained Vi ounce per ton or less,
but some of the ore shoots were extensive. Channel
deposits at the Lost Camp hydraulic mine contain both
cemented and free-washing quartzitic gravels. These
gravels are overlain by sands and volcanic rocks. Some
of the gold recovered from the gravels was coarse.

California Division of Mines and Geouwy

Bull. 193

Mines. Lode: Red Rock, Texas, Van Avery, Zei-
bright $1 million + . Placer: Golden Channel, Golden
Nugget, Lost Camp, Shell, Wild Yankee.

Bibliography

Undgren, Woldemar, 1900, CoKax folio, Colifornio: U. S. G«ol.
Survey Geol. Atloi o( the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, The Tertiary gravels of the Sierro
Nevada: U. S. Geol. Prof. Paper 73, p. 146.

logon, C. A., 1936, Gold minet of Placer County, Lost Camp mine:
Colifornio Division of Mines Rept. 32, p. 68.

logon, C. A., 1941, Nevodo County, Zeibright mine: Colifornio
Division of Mines Rept. 37, p. 431.

Woring, C. A., 1919, Plocer County, lost Camp mine: California
Mining Bureou Rept. 15, pp. 376-377.

English Mountain

Location. This district is in northeastern Nevada
County in the vicinity of English Mountain and Bow-
man Lake. The area was first mined during the 1860s,
followed by activity at the English Alountain gold
and copper mines during the 1890s and early 1900s.
There has been minor prospecting since.

Geology. The area is underlain by slate, schist,
homfels and granite, all of which are cut by diorite
and quartz-diorite dikes. The ore deposits consist of
iron-rich zones containing quartz, free gold, galena,
pvrite, and chalcopyrite. Molybednite is abundant in
places. The principal gold sources have been the Eng-
lish Mountain Gold and Yellow Metal mines.

Bibliography

lindgren, Woldemor, 1900, Colfax folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 11 pp.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevodo County, English Mountain and Yellow
Metol mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 164 and 2SB.

Erskine Creek

Erskine Creek is a northwest-flowing tributary of
the Kern Ri%er in northeast Kern County, a few miles
to the southeast of Isabella. The district includes the
area known as the Pioneer district. Gold and varying
amounts of silver, antimony, tungsten, copper, and
uranium have been recovered here. The principal
sources of gold have been the Glen Olive mine, which
has yielded $500,000, and the Iconoclast mine. Other
properties include the Golden Bell, Laurel, Valley
View, Faust, and King Solomon mines. Two north-
west-trending roof pendants of pre-Cretaceous meta-
morphic rocks are surrounded by Mesozoic granitic
rock. The ore deposits consist of quartz veins contain-
ing free gold and varying amounts of sulfides.

Bibliography

Troxel, B. W., and Morton, D. K., 1962, Kern County, Erskine Creek
district: California Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 1, pp. 31—32.

Tucker, W. B., and Sompson, R. J., 1933, King Solomon mine: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 312-313.

Eureka

Location. This is an extensive area of scattered
placers and a few lode deposits in northwestern Sierra
County about eight miles northwest of Downieville.
It includes the "diggings" not only at Eureka but also
at Craig's Flat, Morristown, and Saddleback Mountain.

It is surrounded by a number of famous placer-mining
districts: Downieville, Poker Flat, Port Wine, Poverty
Hill, and Brandy City. The hydraulic mines here were
worked on a major scale from the 1850s to the middle
1 880s, and then intermittently on a small scale through
the 1930s.

Geology. The principal Tertiary channel deposits
are at Eureka, Craig's Flat, Morristown, and Monte
Cristo, the most extensive being at Eureka. They are
part of the Eureka channel, an indistinct branch of the
Tertiary North Fork of the Yuba River. As in the
other nearby placer-mining districts, the chief values
were obtained from the lower quartzitic gravels. Some
very coarse nuggets have been found here. Bedrock
consists of slate and phyllite and several narrow belts
of greenstone and serpentine. Several of the high ridges
are capped by andesite. There are a few gold-quartz
veins, the most productive having been at the Tele-
graph mine, which is on a slate-serpentine contact.

Bibliography

lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Fairplay

Location and History. This district is in south-
central El Dorado County about 20 miles southeast
of Placerville. It includes the Slug Gulch and Cedar-
ville areas. It is primarily a placer-gold district, but
some copper has been mined here. The area was first
settled in 1853 by N. Sisson and Charles Staples. The
name, according to tradition, arose from an incident
in which an appeal for fair play forestalled a fight
between two miners.

Geology. The deposits here are part of an isolated
Tertiar>' gravel channel that extends southwest from
Slug Gulch toward Fairplay. The gravels are of vari-
ous ages. Older benches of quartz gravel are rich,
younger intervolcanic gravels are leaner. The gold is
extremely coarse. At Slug Gulch the bedrock is lime-
stone; elsewhere it is slate and schist; to the west is
granodiorite. A few narrow gold-quartz veins are
found in the district.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, plocer
deposits: Colifornio Jour. Mines ond Geology, vol. 52, pp. 429-435.

lindgren, Woldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevodo:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, pp. 180-181.

Mining ond Scientific Press, June 17, 1876.

Flddletown

Location. This district is in northwestern Amador
County in the general vicinity of the old mining town
of Fiddletown, six miles east of Plymouth. It also
has been known as the Oleta district.

History. Fiddletown was settled in 1849, report-
edly by Missouri miners addicted to "fiddling." The
district flourished in the 1850s when the drift and
hydraulic mines were active. Attention was drawn to

1970

Gold Disttucts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 19. Natomos Company Dredge No. 2, Folsom District. This 1921 view of the dredge, in Sacramento County, shows the double

sand wheel. Pho/o by C. A. Waring.

the area by Bret Harte's short story, An Episode at
Fiddletoivn. The name proved offensive to one of the
distinguished residents and, in 1878, he succeeded in
having the name changed by legislative enactment to
Oleta. In 1937, the Cafifomia Historical Society, with
the approval of local residents, obtained the restoration
of the original name. There was some drift mining
and dragline dredging in the district in the 1930s and
early 1940s.

Geology. Numerous patches of quartzitic gravels
remain that were deposited by several channels of the
Tertiary Cosumnes River. One channel comes in
from the Coyoteville area from the northeast and an-
other from Volcano from the southeast. Some of the
gravels are capped by andesite. Bedrock is chiefly
graphitic slate, metachert and schist of the Calaveras
Formation (Carboniferous to Permian). Limestone
lies to the east and granodiorite to the north. There
are a few narrow gold-quartz veins in the district.

Bibliography

Carlson, D. W., and Clark, W. B., 1954, Amador County, gold: Cali-
fornia Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 50, pp. 164-200.

Haley, C. S., 1923, Gold placers of California: California Min. Bur.
Bull. 92, pp. 146-147.

Lindgren, Waldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 199.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas
of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Fine Gold

Location. This district is in east-central Madera
County at the site of the old town of Fine Gold,
about 35 miles northeast of Madera. It is in the south
end of a 20- mile mineralized belt that extends south-
east from the Grub Gulch and Coarsegold districts. It

also includes the Quartz Mountain area. The district
was first mined in the late 18SOs. There has been inter-
mittent prospecting in recent years, chiefly in the
vicinity of Quartz Mountain.

Geology. The region is underlain by medium- to
coarse-grained granodiorite cut by pegmatite and ap-
lite dikes. Also present are thin beds of gneiss, schist
and slate. There are a number of quartz veins con-
taining small but sometimes rich ore shoots. The ore
contains native gold, pyrite, and galena. Nearly all
of the deposits are shallow. The veins range from less
than one to more than 10 feet in thickness.

Mines. Ackers, Fresno Banner, Johnny, Little
Johnny, Quartz Mountain, Standard, Waterloo, Zebra.

Bibliography

Min.

Irelan. William, Jr., 1888, Fine Gold Gulch district: Californit
Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 210-216.

Mclaughlin, R. P., and Brodley, W. W., 1916, Madera County, Water-
loo mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 552-553.

Turner, H. W., 1896, Further contributions to the geology of the
Sierra Nevada: U. S. Geol. Survey, 17th Ann. Rept., pt. 1, p. 695.

Watts, W. L., 1893, The Fine Gold mines: Californio Min. Bur. Rept.
11, pp. 215 and 216-217.

Folsom
Location. This district is i

northeastern Sacra-
mento County. It was mainly a dredging field that ex-
tended from the town of Folsom southwest along the
south side of the American River to Fair Oaks, south
through the town of Natoma to Nimbus and then west
to the east border of what is now Mather Air Force
Base. The dredged area is approximately 10 miles long
in a southwest direction and up to seven miles wide.
The Folsom district has also been known as the Ameri-
can River district.

Calikornia Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

History. The region around Folsom and Momion
Bar was extensively placer-mined during the gold rush,
with minor lode mining. The area was originally
settled in 1849 and first known as Negro Bar. The
present town was laid out in 1855 b>' T. D. Judah
for the Sacramento Valley Railroad and named for
Captain J. L. Folsom, quartermaster of Stevenson's
Regiment. Numerous Chinese worked the region from
the 1 860s through the 1 890s. A primitive grab-dredger
was active at Natoma in 1894. Bucket-line dredging
began at Folsom in 1898 and soon became a major
industry. Most of the dredging companies were
merged into Natomas Consolidated of California in
1908. This firm, later known as the Natomas Com-
pany, was the principal operator in the district. The
company designed and built its own dredges at exten-
sive shops in the town of Natoma. In 1916, 11 active
dredges yielded more than $2 million worth of gold.
From 1927 to 1952, several other operators joined
Natomas in dredging the district.

Dredging operations were curtailed during World
War II but were resumed on a major scale shortly
afterward. However, increasing costs, the depletion of
dredging ground, and changing land values caused the
dredging operations to be gradually curtailed. By 1960
there was only a single active dredge, and this was
shut down in February 1962. Large portions of the
dredged-over areas are now occupied by defense in-
dustries, such as the Aerojet-General Corporation and
Douglas Aircraft Company plants, and by housing
tracts. Folsom, one of the largest dredging fields in
California, has a total output estimated at $125 million.
Approximately one billion cubic yards of gravel were
dredged by the Natomas Company.

Geology. Recent stream gravels lie in and adjacent
to the present American River. To the south are sand
and gravel deposits of the Victor Formation (Pleisto-
cene) and silt, sand and some gravel of the Laguna
Formation (Plio-Pleistocene). These are underlain by
andesite of the Mehrten Formation (Pliocene). The
paying gravels are either in or along the American

River and near the lower contacts of the Laguna and
Mehrten Formations. Digging depths ranged from 30
to 110 feet and recoveries from 10<! to 20^ per yard
with gold valued at $35 per ounce. Minor amounts of
platinum were recovered. There are a few narrow
gold-quartz veins in greenstone east of the town of
Folsom.

Dredging Operations. Capitol Dredging Co., 1927-
52, four bucket-lines; General Dredging Co., 1938-51,
three draglines; Gold Hill Dredging Co., 1933-37, one
bucket-line; Lancha Plana Gold Dredging Co., 1940-
49, one bucket-line. Natomas Co., 1909-62, fifteen
bucket-lines; consolidated by Natomas Co. in 1908
were: Colorado Pacific Gold Dredging Co., El Dorado
Gold Dredging Co., Folsom Development Co., Na-
toma Development Co., Syndicate Gold Dredging Co.,
Wilkes-Barre Dredging Co. (1916); later Natomas Co.
production records, 1959, 7,894,592 cu. yds., 10.19(!/yd.
yield, 9.56(* cost per yard and 1958, 9.15^/yd. yield,
8.73?' cost per yard.

Bibliography

Carlson, D. W., 1955, Sacramento County placer mines, California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 51, pp. 134-142.

Crawford, J. J., 1896, Folsom district: California Min. Bur. Kept. 13,
pp. 316-317.

Ooolittle, J. E., 1905, Folsom district: California Min. Bur. Bull. 36,
pp. 92-98.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1894, Sacramento folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 5, 3 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada,
Folsom dredge fields: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, p. 222.

Logon, C. A., 1925, Sacramento County, Dredging: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 21, pp. 12-14.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Gold dredging — Sacramento County: Colifornia
Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 405-415.

Winston, W. B., 1910, Gold dredging in California, Sacramento
County, dredging: California Min. Bur. Bull. 57, pp. 176-204.

Forbestown

Location and History. The Forbestown district is
in southeastern Butte County about 15 miles due east
of Oroville. It includes the Feather Falls area. The
Brownsville district is just to the south, and the Hurle-

Photo 20. Natomos Company Dredge No. 9, Folsom District. This is a 1914 photo of the dredge, in Sacramento County. Photo by C. A. Waring.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

^•

i^;

Natomas Company Dredge No. 8, Folsom District. This 1953 photo, taken !n Sacramento Co
in the Folsom field. No. 8 ceosed operation in 1962.

npany's last active dredge

ton and Bidwell Bar districts are to the west. The area
was- placer-mined during the gold rush. At that time
the South Fork of the Feather River, which drains the
area, yielded huge amounts of gold. The town was
named for Ben F. Forbes who established a store here
in 1850. The Gold Bank mine was operated on a major
scale from 1888 until 1904. Moderate mining activity
continued in the district through the 19.^0s, and there
has been intermittent prospecting, some by skin div-
ing, since.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The area is underlain
by massive greenstone, amphibolite schist and fine-
grained diorite. Granite lies to the north and gabbro
diorite to the south. There are a number of north-
trending quartz veins and stringers. The ore contains
free gold and considerable amounts of sulfides; tellu-
rides have been reported. The milling ore is usually
low in value (1/5 oz. or less per ton), but the ore
shoots often had stoping lengths of several hundred
feet. The sulfide concentrates were valued up to flOO
per ton.

Mines. Carlisle, Denver, Gold Bank |2 million.
Golden Eagle, Golden Queen $372,000-f, Miller,
Shakespeare $137,000-f-. Southern Cross, Williams.

Bibliography

Crawford, J. J., 1894, Gold Bonk mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 12,
p. 83.

Logan, C. A., 1930, Butte County, Forbestown Consolidated Gold
Mines: California DIv. Mines Rept. 26, pp. 373-376.

Miner, J. A., 1890, Gold Bonk mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 10,
pp. 125-127.

Turner, H. W., 1898, Bidwell Bar folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geo!. Atlas of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Butte County, Gold Bank and Golden Queen
mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 216-217.

Forest Hill

Locatio?!. The Forest Hill district is in south-cen-
tral Placer County in the general vicinity of the town
of that name. This district is fairly large in area and
includes not only the "diggings" at Forest Hill but
those at Bath to the east, Todd Valley and Dardanelles
to the southwest, and Yankee Jims to the northwest.
The district is principally a placer-mining one, al-
though there have been some productive quartz mines.

History. Gold was discovered here in 1850. By
1852 the area was highly productive. In that year the
Jenny Lind mine was discovered, and hydraulic min-
ing was introduced at Yankee Jims by Colonel Mc-
Clure. The town was an important trading center in
those days. By 1868 the mines in the vicinity of the
town had yielded more than $10 million. Large-scale
hydraulic mining continued until the early 1880s and
drift mining until the early 1900s. There was appre-
ciable activity in the district again in the 1930s and
early 1940s, and a few mines, such as the Paragon and
Three Queens, have been worked since. Forest Hill
is now an important lumbering center. The total out-
put of the district is estimated to be at least $25 million,
and it may be considerably more.

Geology. The main early Tertiary channel of the
Middle Fork of the American River enters the district
from Michigan Bluff on the east. At Bath it turns
north and then west and southwest and continues
southwest through Forest Hill. At the Dardanelles
mine west of Forest Hill, the channel swings north-
west to Yankee Jims and then north to the Iowa Hill
district. An intervolcanic channel extends west-south-
west from Baker Ranch to north of Forest Hill. An-

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

other intervolcanic channel extends south-southwest
between the above and Yankee Jims. The older
quartzitic gravels near bedrock arc coarse and well-
cemented and have yielded the most gold. Much of
the gravel is overlain by rhyolite and andesite. Bed-
rock is slate with some phyllite, schist, and serpentine.
Some of the gold-quartz veins were rich, especially
those that occur near serpentine. The veins are usually
three to four feet thick and strike in a northwesterly
direction. A number of small but rich pockets were
found in the Three Queens mine, the principal lode
mine in the district.

Mines. Placer: Baker Divide; Baltimore; Big Spring
$150,000; Dardanelles $2 million-f; Excelsior; Flor-
ida; Georgia Hill, Yankee Jim and Smiths Point, to-
getlier $5 million; Grc>' Eagle; Homestake; Inde-
pendent, New Jersc\- and Jenny Lind, together $2,-
653,000; Mayflower $1 million; Maus; Paragon
$2.65 million4-; Peckham Hill and Todd Valley, to-
gether $5 million; Pond; San Francisco; Small Hope;
Yankee Jims. Lode: Dry Hill, Eureka, Cons. Interna-
tional, Mitchell, Three Queens $100,000-|-.

Bibliography

Browne, Ross E., 1890, The ancient river beds of the Forest Hill
Divide: Colifornio Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 435-465.

Chandra, Deb K., 1961, Geology and mineral deposits of the Colfax
and Forest Hill quadrangles, Californio: California Div. Mines Spec.
Rept. 67, 50 pp.

Ellsworth, E, W., 1933, Tracing buried-river channel deposits by
geomagnetic methods: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 244—250.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Dardanelles, Boker Divide, and Breece and
Wheeler mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 464-468.

Jorman, Arthur. 1927, Forest Hill and south side of Forest Hill:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 23, pp. 88 and 91-92.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1900, Colfax folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 149-151.

logon, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, Dardanelles,
Moyftower, and Paragon mines: Colifornio Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 55^
69, and 73-75.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Placer County, Forest Hill district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 16, p. 317.

French Corral

Location. French Corral is in northwestern Ne-
vada County about nine miles northwest of Nevada
City. Much of the gold production came from hy-
draulic mines between here and Birchville to the
northeast.

History. The town was named for a mule corral
erected by a Frenchman, who was the first settler in
the area. The principal period of gold mining was from
the middle 1850s to the 1890s; there has been minor
work since. Sometime before 1867, a 7 '/4 -carat dia-
mond, the largest known to have come from Cali-
fornia, was found here in a sluice box.

French Corral was the terminus of one of the first
long-distance telephone lines in the United States. In-
stalled by the Edison Company about 1878, it con-
nected Birchville, North San Juan and North Bloom-
field to Bowman or French Lake, in the high Sierra
Nevada some 58 miles east. It was used primarily to
send messages about the delivery of water to the
hydraulic mines, but it also was used by Western
Union to send other messages.

The total production of the district is unknown, but
it has been estimated to be valued at between $3 mil-
lion and $4 million. Lindgren, in 1911, estimated that
32.5 million yards of gravel had been removed and
that 20 million remained; the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, in 1891, estimated that the same amount
had been removed, but that only 10 million yards
remained.

Geology. A major channel of the Tertiary Yuba
River entered the area from the northeast. It extends
southwest for a distance of about four miles in this
district. The gravels deposited by this channel are 150
to 250 feet thick and 600 or more feet wide. The
gravels have yielded gold throughout, but the quartz-
rich lower gravels were the richest. Bedrock is grano-
diorite with greenstone to the north. Also there are
some gold-quartz veins and bodies of mineralized
granodiorite and greenstone.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemar. 1895, Smartsville folio, Colifornio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 123-125.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevada County, French Corral mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 7-11.

Fresno River

Small amounts of gold are recovered intermittently
from the lower Fresno River in western Madera
County. There are several small floating suction
dredges similar to those on the Chowchilla River to
the north (see also the section on the Chowchilla dis-
trict). This stream was first placer-mined during the
gold rush, when the Coarsegold and Grub Gulch dis-
tricts to the northeast were originally worked.

Bibliography

Logon, C. A., 1950, Madera County, gold: California Jour. Mines and
Geology, vol. 46, pp. 453-456.

Friont

The Friant district is in northeastern Fresno County
on the San Joaquin River, in the vicinity of the Friant
Dam. Placer mining was carried on in the district
during the early days in the vicinity of Fort Miller,
a military post now inundated by the reservoir. Later
this place was the terminus of a branch of the Southern
Pacific Railroad and known as PoUasky. It was re-
named in the 1920s for Thomas Friant of the White-
Friant Lumber Company. About $200,000 worth of
gold was recovered as a by-product from sand and
gravel excavated for use in the construction of the
dam in 1940-42. Since 1946, from $5000 to $25,000
worth of gold has been produced annually from the
sand and gravel plants here. The gold occurs in the
river gravels and small terrace deposits adjacent to
the river. The gold is fine and flaky, recovered in
riffles set below the fine screens in the sand-washing
plants.

Bibliography

Bradley, Walter W., 1916, Fresno County, gold: Colifornio Min. Bur.
Rept. 14, p. 440.

Logon, C. A., Broun, L. T., ond Vernon. J. W., 1951, Fresno County,
gold: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 503-504.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Genesee

Location. The Genesee district is in the southeast
end of the Crescent Mills-Taylorsville-Genesee gold
belt of east-central Plumas County. This is not a single
belt but rather several parallel belts or zones of gold
and copper mineralization. The well-known Walker
copper mine is in this district.

History. Gold was first placer-mined in the streams
during the gold rush, and lode mining began soon
afterward. Genesee is believed to have been named by
the Ingalls family for a valley in New York State.
Mining activity continued almost steadily through the
early 1900s. The Walker copper mine was worked on
a major scale from about 1915 to 1942, and the con-
centrates were delivered to the Western Pacific Rail-
road at Spring Garden via a nine-mile aerial tramway.
There has been intermittent gold and copper prospect-
ing in the district since.

Geology. This area is underlain by the same series
of Paleozoic and Mesozoic metamorphic rocks found
in the Taylorsville district to the west and northwest
(see Taylorsville district). Contact metamorphism,
especially in the vicinity of the Walker mine, has
altered the rocks into homfels and schist. The gold-ore
deposits consist of either quartz veins or zones of
quartz stringers that contain free gold, limonite, and
sulfides. A number of high-grade pockets have been
found. There are several patches of auriferous Tertiary
gravels.

Mines. Austrian Syndicate, Big Cliff, Blue Bell,
Bullion, Caiman, Cosmopolitan, Five Bears, Green
Ledge, Gruss $460,000, Hinchman, Magpie, Mountain
Lion, Native Son, Peter, Taylor (placer). Wards
(placer).

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1937, Plumas County, copper and gold: California Div.
Mines Rep>. 33, pp. 93-124.

Diller, J. S., 1908, Geology of the Taylorsville region, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 353, 128 pp.

Diller, J. S., 1909, Mineral resources of the Indian Valley region:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 260, pp. 45-49.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1920, Plumas County, Genesee mining district: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 12-18.

Georgetown

Location. The Georgetown district is in north-
western El Dorado County at the north end of the
northeast segment of the Mother Lode belt. It e.xtends
from just north of Garden Valley north through
Georgetown and the Georgia Slide area to the Middle
Fork of the American River. It is both a lode- and
placer-mining district.

History. Mining began here in 1849 by a party
of placer miners from Oregon. The site was first
known as Growlersburg, but was soon changed to
Georgetown. It is reported to have been named for
either George Ehrenhaft, who laid out the town, or
George Phipps, a sailor-prospector. The placers were
highly productive during the 1850s. The seam deposits
at Georgia Slide were mined on a large scale by
hydraulicking from 1853 to about 1895. There was

some activity during the early 1900s, and in the 1930s
the Beebe and Alpine mines were worked on a fairly
large scale. There has been minor prospecting and
skin diving in the district since.

Geology. This district is in the northern end of the
Mother Lode gold belt (see fig. 4). There is a two-
mile wide north- and northwest-trending belt of
Mariposa slate (Upper Jurassic) in the central portion
of the district, with greenstone and green schist to
the west and mica schist, slate, quartzite, amphibolite,
and serpentine to the east. In places, especially at
Georgia Slide, the bedrock is deeply weathered.
Several patches of Tertiary gravel overlain by andesite
are exposed on some hills in the northern part.

Ore Deposits. The ore deposits consist of thick
zones of mineralized schist and slate that contain
numerous quartz veins and veinlets. Where deeply
weathered the gold became concentrated and such
deposits were worked by placer-mining methods.
These are known as "seam" deposits. Below the
weathered zone they were mined as lode deposits. The
seam deposit at Georgia Slide was 1000 feet long
and 500 feet wide. Usually the milling ore yielded
from y-^ to \i ounce to the ton, but many high-grade
pockets were encountered. In addition, there are
several wide quartz veins containing finely dissemi-
nated free gold and pyrite. These veins contained ore
shoots with stoping lengths of up to 500 feet. The
Tertiary gravel patches have yielded gold.

Mines. Lode-seam: Alpine $500,000-|-, Alma, Bar-
ney, Beebe $2 million, California Jack, Cove Hill, Geor-
eria Slide $6 million, Mamaluke, Mount Hope. Placer:
Anderson, Bottle Hill, Cary, Cement Hill, Holmes,
Jones Hill, Little Chief, Mulvey Point, Patterson,
Rowe, Shoemaker, Tanksley, Trimble.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, Seam
deposits and Georgetown area: California Jour. Mines and Geology,
vol. 52, pp. 431 and 435-437.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Alpine mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 8,
pp. 167-168.

Lindgren, Woldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio,
California: U. S. Geol. Survey, Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 3, pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, The Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 108-169.

Logon, C. A., 1935, Mother Lode gold belt of Colifornio, Alpine,
Beebe, and Georgia Slide mines: California Div. Mines Bull. 108,
pp. 15-19 and 46.

Preston, E. B., 1893, Georgetown: Colifornio Min. Bur. Rept. 11,
pp. 202-204.

Gibsonville

Location. This placer-mining district is in north-
western Sierra County and southern Plumas County in
the vicinity of the old town of Gibsonville. It is about
six miles northeast of La Porte and 20 miles due north
of Downieville. The district includes the Whiskey
Diggings, Hepsidam, and Bunker Hill areas. The area
was first worked during the gold rush, and consider-
able drift mining and some hydraulic mining followed
in 1875-95. There has been intermittent prospecting
since.

Geology. The deposits are located on the Tertiary
North Fork of the Yuba River, which is also kno^vn as

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

the La Porte channel. The channel extends in a south-
west direction through the district. The channel
gravels are as much as 1500 feet wide and capped by
thick beds of andesite and clay. The gold was found
mostly in quartz-rich gravels near bedrock and was
mostly coarse-grained. Some ground yielded up to $3
per yard of gold at the old price. There are a number
of drops in the channel, caused possibly by bedrock
faulting. The bedrock consists of amphibolite with
serpentine, slate, and schist lying to the east. The chan-
nel has been drift-mined almost continuously from
Hepsidam southwest through Gibsonville to the
Thistle shaft, a distance of about five miles. Although
the district is reported to have had only a moderate
output, extensive drifting and a number of rich pay
streaks indicate that it must have been much more
productive than originally believed.

Mines. Bellevue group, Bunker Hill, Empire,
Feather Fork (Thistle), Garnet, Gibsonville Water
and Mining (hydraulic), Homestake, Taber
(Hal Taber), Union-Keystone $600,000, Washington
(North American Cons.) (hydraulic). Whiskey (hy-
draulic).

Bibliography

Crawford, J. J., 1896, Feather Fork mine: California Min. Bur. Rep».
13, p. 376.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 106-107.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1921, Sierra County, Gibsonville mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 11-13.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Weil, S. C, The ancient channel of Gibsonville: Min. and Sci. Press,
vol. 91, July 29, 1905, p. 73.

Wiltsee, E. A., 1893, Gibsonville mining district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 11, pp. 418-419.

Globe

There are several small gold mines and prospects in
an area known as the Globe mining district in central
Tulare Count>' about 15 miles east of Porterville.
Most of the prospects are in the vicinity of Cow
Mountain on the north side of the Tule River Indian
Reservation or a few miles to the west. There was
some prospecting here in the early 1900s, but appar-
ently little or nothing has been clone since. The de-
posits consist of shallow quartz veins in granite that
contain fairly abundant pyrite and small amounts of
free gold.

Bibliography

Tucker, W. B., 1919, Tulare County, gold: Colifornio Min. Bur. Rept.
15, pp. 912-915.

Gold Run

Location and History. This district is in north-
central Placer County in the vicinity of and south of
the town of Gold Run. Extensive Tertiary channel
gravels extend from here south to Indiana Hill and
the North Fork of the American River. Much of the
output in the district has come from the vast Stewart
hydraulic mine, which is traversed by U.S. Highway
Interstate 80 across its north end. The area was first
placer-mined in 1849, and the town was founded in
1854 by O. W. Hollcnbeck. The town was originally
called Mountain Springs. From 1865 to 1878 appro.xi-

mately $6,125,000 in gold was shipped from the express
office here. Mining on a moderate scale continued until
about 1915, with considerable production reponed in
1908. There was minor work here in the 1920s and
1930s.

Geology. The deposits are located on a major Ter-
tiary channel of the American River that enters the
area from the south and continues north to Dutch
Flat. The gravel deposits are more than a mile wide in
an east-west direction, three miles long in a north-south
direction, and up to 400 feet deep. The lower ce-
mented blue gravel yielded as much as several dollars
per yard. The upper gravels contain quartz with clay
and sand and averaged 11 to 17 cents per yard, while
the top gravels ran to four to five cents per yard.
Bedrock is slate in the west portion and gabbroic rock
to the east.

Bibliography

Anon. July 24, 1875 to Feb. 19, 1876, Hydraulic mining at Gold
Run — The Blue Lead ancient river channel: Min. and Sci. Press.

Hobson, J. B., 1890, Gold Run district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 10,
p. 427.

Jormon, Arthur, 1927, Gold Run: California Min. Bur. Rept. 23,
pp. 81-86.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1900, Colfax folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary grovels of the Sierra Nevada,
Indiana Hill and Gold Run: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 145.

Logan, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, Gold Run district:
California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 62-63.

Lydon, P. A., 1959, Geology along U. S. Highway 40: Mineral Infor-
mation Service, vol. 12, no. 8, pp. 1-9.

Granite Basin

Location. The Granite Basin district straddles the
Butte-Plumas County line about 30 miles northeast of
Oroville and 30 miles west southwest of Quincy. It
includes the Buckeye, Gold Lake, Milsap Bar, Soap-
stone Hill, and Merrimac areas. The area was placer-
mined during and after the gold rush. There was some
lode mining here in the 1930s, and there has been
minor prospecting since.

Geology. Several granitic stocks are intrusive into
slate, quartzite and limestone of the Calaveras Forma-
tion (Carboniferous to Permian) and amphibolite. Ex-
foliation has formed several round granitic domes, of
which Bald Rock is the most prominent. Serpentine,
some Tertiary basalt and a few patches of Tertiary
auriferous gravel are present. The quartz veins usually
occur in the granite. The veins are narrow, but the
ore bodies often are rich. Pyrite and galena are abun-
dant.

Mines. Lode: Hardquartz, Hose, Reynolds. Placer:
Buckeye drift. Coquette, Horseshoe, Milsap Bar, Rob-
inson.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1937, Plumas County, Granite Basin Mining Company:
California Div. Mines Rept. 33, pp. 108-109.

Heilonen, A. M., 1951, Melomorphic and igneous rocks of the Merri-
mac area. Geol. Soc. America Bull. Vol. 62, pp. 565-607.

Lydon, P. A., 1959, Geological section and petrography along the
Poe tunnel, Butte County: California Div. Mines Spec. Rept. 61, 18 pp.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1920, Plumas County, Granite Basin mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 18-21.

Turner, H. W., 1898, Bidwell Bor folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Granite Springs

This district is in the northwest corner of Mariposa
County and the southwest corner of Tuolumne
County in the vicinity of Lake McClure and Don
Pedro Reservoir. The mines apparently were last
worked in the 1930s. The region is underlain chiefly
by greenstone with some interbeds of graphitic slate.
There are a considerable number of northwest-striking
gold-quartz veins often associated with diorite dikes.
Most of the deposits are relatively shallow.

Mines. Mariposa County: Anita, Burr $350,000,
Florinita, Jackson, White Rock. Tuolumne County:
Buzzard Roost, Diamond, Hedley, Oak Mesa, Solambo.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1957, Mariposa County, Burr mine: California
lour. Mines and Geology, vol. 53, p. 247.

Graniteville

Location and History. This district is in east-cen-
tral Nevada County about 30 miles east of Nevada
City. It is also known as the Eureka district. An
extensive belt of gold mineralization in this region
extends from the vicinity of the town of Graniteville
south-southeast to the Emigrant Gap district, a dis-
tance of about 10 miles. The district includes the
Gaston mine area, which sometimes has been classified
as a separate district. The Alleghany-Washington gold
belt lies a few miles to the west, and the American
Hill district is to the north. The Graniteville district
was first placer-mined during the gold rush, and quartz
mining began soon afterward. Considerable mining
activity continued from the 1860s until about 1900,
and there was much activity again during the 1930s.
The Ancho-Erie and a few other mines were worked
for a short time after World War II.

Geology. The district is underlain by slate, schist,
and phyllite of the Blue Canyon Formation (Carbonif-
erous) in the west and granodiorite in the east. In addi-
tion, there are several patches of Tertiary gravel and
several glacial moraines.

Ore Deposits. Three main north-striking vein sys-
tems run through the district. One in the western
portion of the district is in slate and schist and con-
tains the Culbertson, National, and Ancho-Erie mines.
One to the east is in granodiorite and contains the
Wisconsin, Baltic, and Iowa mines. The veins in the
central system are along the slate-granodiorite contact.
Properties in the central system include the Rocky
Glen and Gaston mines. The quartz veins are as much
as 15 feet thick. The ore contains free gold and vary-
ing amounts of auriferous sulfides. The milling ore
usually averages Vi ounce per ton or less with very
little high grade. Some of the ore shoots had stoping
lengths of several hundred feet. The veins were mined
to depths of as much as 500 feet. The Tertiary gravels
at Graniteville and at Shands r^vo miles to the west
have yielded some gold.

Mines. Alpha, Ancho-Erie $1 million+, Ander-
son, Artie, Azalie, Baltic, Barren, Birchville, Blue Bell,

Celina Flat, Cooley, Culbertson, Eagle Bird, Gaston
$2 million?, German, Gold Bug, Hotwater, Iowa, IXL,
Jim, Keller, Last Chance, Lindsay, Mountain View,
National, Rainbow, Rattlesnake, Republic, Rockv
Glen 1300,000-1-, Star, Washington, Wisconsin, Yel-
low Metal, Yuba $2 million-|-.

Bibliography

Hobson, J. B., and Wiltsee, E. A., 1893, Eureka mining district:
California Min. Bur. Repl. 11, pp. 308-310.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Eureka district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 8,
pp. 448-451.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1900, Colfax folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada;
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 141.

Logan, C. A., 1930, Nevada County, Gaston mine: California Div.
Mines Rept. 26, pp. 110 and 113.

Logan, C. A., 1941, Nevada County, Ancho and Erie group, Birch-
ville mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 37, pp. 383 and 386.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevada County, Graniteville mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 11-13.

Grass Valley

Location. This famous mining district is in west-
ern Nevada County in the immediate area of the town
of Grass Valley. The Nevada City district adjoins it
on the northeast and the Rough-and-Ready district
is to the west.

History. Placer gold was first found in Wolf Creek
in 1848 shortly after Marshall's discovery at Coloma.
The earliest mining was done by David Stump and
two companions who came from Oregon. The shallow
placers were rich but were exhausted quickly. Gold-
bearing quartz was discovered at Gold Hill in 1850
and soon afterward at Ophir, Rich, and iVIassachusetts
Hills. Quartz mining soon developed into a major
industry that was to last more than 100 years. The
Gold Hill and Allison Ranch were the leading lode
mines during the 1850s. Mining was curtailed some-
what during the Comstock rush of 1859-65, but the
mines were productive again in the late 1860s. The
camp declined in the lf"70s, and 'ly 1880 ' nly the
Empire and Idaho mines were active. In 1384 the
North Star mine was reopened and activities increased;
the North Star, Empire, Idaho-Maryland, Pennsyl-
vania, and W.Y.O.D. all were highly productive. By
1900, the Idaho-Maryland mine had yielded a total of
$12.5 million. From 1900 to 1925, the North Star and
Empire mines were the largest producers, the Idaho-
Maryland having been idle in 1901-19. By 1928, the
North Star had had a total output valued at $33
million.

In 1929 the Empire and North Star groups were
purchased by the Newmont Mining Corporation. This
merger, which resulted in the Empire-Star Mines Co.,
included other important mines, such as the Pennsyl-
vania, W.Y.O.D., and Sultana. From 1930 to 1941, the
district was enormously productive. The 1930-40 out-
put of Idaho-Maryland Alines Corp., which included
the Idaho-Maryland and Brunswick mines, was $26.7
million. The Empire-Star group yielded 1,074,284
ounces of gold from 1929 to 1940. Nearly 4000 miners

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Empire Mine, Gross Valley District. Mules frequently hauled ore cars, as in this underground scene at the
The photo wos taken in about 1910.

Nevodo County.

were at work in the mines during the 1930s and early
1940s. The mines were shut down during World War
II, but the Empire, Pennsylvania, North Star, and
Idaho-Maryland reopened soon afterward. However,
operations gradually decreased; the Idaho-Mar\'land
stopped gold mining in 1956 and the Empire-Star
group in 1957, closures that ended nearly 106 years of
gold-mining operations in the Grass Valley district.
Some tungsten ore was mined in 1954-57 at the New
Brunswick unit of the Idaho-Maryland mine.

Grass Valley was the richest and most famous gold-
mining district in California. The value of the total

output of the lode mines is estimated to have been at
least $300 million, and the placer mines yielded a few
million dollars more worth of gold. The r\vo largest
operations, the Empire-Star and Idaho-Maryland
groups, had total outputs of $130 million and $70 mil-
lion, respectively. Many famous mining engineers and
geologists worked in the Grass V^alley district. A num-
ber of important inventions and improvements were
made in mining and milling equipment in the Grass
Valley gold mines. Many of the miners were of Corn-
ish descent and were often known as "Cousin Jacks".
For many years the town and the mines were served
by the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad,

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 23. End of a Shift, Empire Mine, Gross Volley District. A shift, circa 1900, ascends after a work tour at the Nevado
County mine. Many of these miners were Cornishmen — "Cousin Jacks."

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 24. Idaho-Maryland Mine, Graji Valley District. This photo, taken in obouf 1930,

mine. Pfiofo by Wo/ter W. Bradley.

shows the Idaho shaft at the Nevada County

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 25. New Brunswick Mine, Grass Valley District. This is a 1955 view of the Nevada County mine, which was
a member of the Idaho-Maryland group. Phofo by D. W. Carlson.

which extended north from Colfax. A few historic
mine structures are still standing, but most of the
extensive surface plants of the major mines have been
dismantled. The old power house at the North Star
mine and its 32-foot Pelton wheel are part of a Nevada
County historical display.

Geology. An elongated body of granodiorite is in
the central portion of the district (fig. 8). This body
is five miles long in a north-south direction and '/z to
two miles wide. It is intrusive into older metamorphic
rocks and itself is cut by various dike rocks. Immedi-
ately east and west of the intrusion are dark green-

Photo 26. Scotia Mine, Grass Valley District. This scene shows the Nevada County mine in the 1940s. Photo by O/of P. Jenkins

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

EXPLANATION

'>,Ta'>J'J Andes ite, tuff and breccia
Gronodiorite
Gobbro and diorite
Serpentine

"grd

j-gbd'i

N.--SP.

Greenstone, slate, omptiibolite,
end schist

A^x' Ore veins

SCALE

3000

Figure 8. Geologic Mop of Gross Valley District, Nevada County. The major veins and vein systems ore shown. The names opply to veins, not
mines. AUer Johnston, 1940, plata 1, and Lindgren, Nevodo City Special Folio, 1896.

Stones classified as inetadiabase and metadiabase por-
phyry (so-called "porphyrites"), and conrinuingto the
northeast are amphibolite schist, serpentine, gabbro
and diorite, and slate. Just north of the granodiorite
and to the southwest arc slates, phyllitc, quartzite, and
schist of the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to
Permian). A number of intermediate to basic dikes are
present also, as well as a few aplite and granite por-
phyry dikes. Overlying part of the district to the east
and to the northwest are Tertiary gravels, in turn
largely overlain by andesite.

Ore Deposits. This is the most heavily mineralized
and richest gold district in the state with a very large
number of productive veins in a relatively small area.
The veins fall into two major groups: 1) those of the
granodiorite-greenstone area, which have gentle dips,
and 2) those of the serpentine-amphibolitc area, with

steep dips (see fig. 8). The veins of the granodiorite
area are either in the granodiorite or in the adjacent
greenstone, entering the granodiorite at depth. One
group of veins strikes north and dips gently (about
35° on the average) either east or west. This group
includes the Empire, Pennsylvania, Osborne Hill,
Omaha, VV.Y.O.D., and Allison Ranch veins. The other
group of veins in the granodiorite strikes west or
northwest and dips gently north. The North Star and
New York Hill veins are included in this group. In
the serpentinc-amphibolite area the veins strike north-
west and dip steeply southwest; a few dip northeast.
These occur mostly in the amphibolite near or at the
serpentine contact. The Idaho-Maryland, Brunswick,
and Union Hill mines are here.

The veins usually range from one to 10 feet in thick-
ness and consist of quartz with some calcite and an-

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

kerite. They fill minor thrust faults. Many veins con-
tain several generations of quartz. There are numerous
northeast-striking, vertical or steeply-dipping fractures
or "crossings" that commonly are boundaries of ore
shoots. The ore contains free gold and varying
amounts of sulfides, chiefly pyrite. Present in smaller
amounts are galena, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, sphal-
erite, and pyrrhotite. Galena is commonly associated
with gold.

The ore shoots vary considerably in size and shape,
and the distribution of gold within the shoots is erratic.
Some have pitch lengths of up to several thousand feet,
and the veins have been developed to inclined depths
of as much as 11,000 feet. Much specimen ore has been
found, but milling ore usually averaged from 0.25 to
0.5 ounce of gold per ton. Coarse-grained scheelite is
present in several veins, notably in the Union Hill and
New Brunswick mines.

Mines. A\zx, Alaska, Alcade, Allison Ranch $2.7
million. Alpha, Bella Union, Ben Franklin $750,000,
Big Diamond, Black Hawk, Bow, Boundary, Buena
Vista, Bullion, Cassidy (Linden), Centennial $500,-
000-1-, Cheranne, Coe $500,000+, Conlan, Crown
Point* $130,000+, Daisy Hill*, Dakota*, Diamond,
East Star *, Empire *, Empire-Star group $130 million.
Empire West *, Empress, Eureka t $5.7 million, Gas-
ton, General Grant, Gladstone, Golden Center (Drom-
edary) $2.5 million+. Golden Gate, Golden Treasure,
Gold Hill*, Gold Point t, Goodall, Granite Hill,
Grant, Hartery $350,000, Hermosa, Heuston, Home-
ward Bound *, Houston Hill, Idaho t, Idaho-Maryland
group $70 million. Independence, Inkmarque, Kate
Hayes *, Larimer, Le Due, Lone Jack, Magenta, Mary
Ann, Maryland t, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Hill *,
New Brunswick t. New Eureka t, New Homeward
Bound, New Ophir *, New York Hill, Normandy-

EXPLANATION

Andesite
h/V-^J.yj Gabbro and diorife
I , . ; ' ■] Serpentine
^^^^^^^J [Slate] Coloveras Formotion

Greenstone and ampfiibolite
Vein

— 500 FEET

— 1000
—1500

EXPLANATION
Granodiorite
I Greenstone and omptiibolite
Vein

Figure 9 (fop). Section through Idaho-Marylond Mine. After Johnston, 1940, figure 65.
Figure 10 (bottom). Section through Empire and Pennsylvania Mines. After Johnston, 1940, figure 62.

500 tOOO 1500 FEET

California Division of Minfs and Geology

Bull. 193

Dulinaine, Northern Bell. North Star *. Norunihagua
Si milli()n + , Oaidand Si 00.000, OIJ Brunswick t. Olii
Eureka t. Old Homeward Bound, Omaha, Orleans,
Osborne Hill *, Peabod\-, Pennsvlvania *. Phoenix,
Polar Star, Prescott Hill. 'Prudential 1100,000, Repub-
lic, Reward, Rich Hill, Rocky Bar, Rose Hill SIOO,-
000-f, Scotia, Sebastopol, South Idaho +, Spring Hill
5300,000+, Stockton Hill, St. John, Sultana *, Syndi-
cate, Telegraph *, Union Hill t 1750,000, Wisconsin,
W>oming, W.Y.O.D.

Bibliography

Crowford, J. J., 1894, Gold— Nevada County: Colifornio Min. Bur.
Rept. 12, pp. 185-203.

Crawford, J. J., 1896, Gold— Nevada County: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 13, pp. 234-271.

Farmin, Rollin, 1938, Oislocoted inclusions in gold quartz veins at
Grass Valley, California: Econ. Geology, vol. 33, pp. 579-599.

Farmin, Rollin, 1941, Occurrence of scheelite in Idaho-Maryland
Mines at Grass Valley, California: California Div. Mines Rept. 37,
p. 224.

Honks, H. G., 1886, Nevada County: California Min. Bur. Rept. 6,
pp. 44-49.

Hobson, J. B., 1890, Gross Valley district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 10, pp. 370-384.

Hobson, J. B., and Wiltsee, E. A., 1893, Grass Valley mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 11, pp. 267-285.

Hoover, H. C, 1896, Some notes on crossings: Min. and Sci. Press,
vol. 72, pp. 166-167.

Howe, Ernest, 1924, The gold ores of Gross Valley, California: Econ.
Geology, vol. 19, pp. 595-621.

Irelan, William, 1888, Grass Volley district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 425-435.

Johnston, W. D., Jr., 1932, Geothermal gradient at Grass Valley,
Calif.: Washington Acod. Sci. Jour., vol. 22, pp. 267-271.

Johnston, W. D., Jr., 1940, The gold-quorti veins at Gross Valley,
Colifornio: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 194, 101 pp.

Johnston, W. D., Jr., and Closs, Ernst, 1934, Structural history of
the fracture systems at Grass Valley, Colif.: Econ. Geology, vol. 29,
pp. 39-54.

Knoebel, J. B., 1931, The veins and crossings of the Grass Valley
district: Econ. Geology, vol. 26, pp. 375-398.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1895, Smortsville folio, Colifornio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1896, Nevada City special folio, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 29, pp.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1896, Gold-quartz veins of Nevada City and
Gross Valley districts: U. S. Geol. Survey, 17lh Ann. Rept. pt. 2,
pp. 1-262.

logon, C. A., 1930, Nevada County, Grass Valley district: California
Div. Mines Rept. 26, pp. 96-99.

Logan, C. A., 1941, Mineral resources of Nevada County — gold
quartz mining: California Div. Mines Rept. 37, pp. 380-431.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevada County, Grass Valley district: Coli-
fornio Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 14-30.

In addition to the above references, many reports on mining
methods, equipment, ond mining activities in the district have oppeared
in various periodicals. Very many private reports also have been mode
on various mines.

Gravel Range

This district is in south-central Tuolumne County
and north-central Mariposa County about 1 5 miles east
of Groveland. The principal sources of gold have
been several bodies of quartzitic Tertiary channel
gravels that are part of the Tertiary Tuolumne River.
The deposits are in the Gravel Range, at Dorseys and
north of Smith Station. They were mined chiefly by
hydraulicking. Bedrock consists of granodiorite in the
east and slate and schist in the west. In places the
gravels are capped by andesite.

• Part of the Empire-Star group,
t Part of the Idano-Maryland group.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiory gravels of the Sierro Nevodo:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 217-218.

Turner, H. W., and Ronsome, F. L., 1897, Sonoro folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Greenhorn Mountain

Location and History. This district is in Kern
County about 28 miles northeast of Bakersfield. The
first discovery of gold in Kern County was made in
Greenhorn Creek in 1851 by a member of General
John C. Fremont's party. A rush soon followed, and
the town of Petersburg was established. Gold-mining
activity declined before 1890, but there has been minor
prospecting since. Most of the output has been from
placer mining.

Geology. Much of the area is underlain b\- quartz
diorite. There are a few bodies of metamorphic rocks
and also some pegmatite dikes. The chief placer de-
posits were in Greenhorn, Fremont, Bradshaw, and
Black Gulch Creeks. There are numerous small, poorly
mineralized quartz veins, most of which are a few
miles east of David Guard Station. The gold is in the
free state and there is very little sulfide mineralization.
Uranium-bearing peat bog was discovered in 1955 in
the northwest part of the district.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Green Horn Mountain district: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14, p. 482.

Troxel, B. W., and Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, Greenhorn
Mountain district: California Div. Mines and Geology, County Report 1,
pp. 34-35.

Greenwood

Location. This district is in northwestern El Do-
rado County. It consists of the northwest segment of
the Mother Lode gold belt, which splits at Garden
V'alley (the east segment continues through George-
town). This segment of the belt is several miles wide
and extends from the point of the split northwest
through Greenwood and Spanish Dry Diggings to the
Middle Fork of the American River, a distance of
about eight miles.

History. Placer mining began in this area shortly
after the beginning of the gold rush. The town was
named for Caleb and John Greenwood, who estab-
lished a trading post here in 1850. The district flour-
ished during the 1850s, when the American River was
mined and the seam deposits hydraulicked on a large
scale. The river was mined by diverting the main
stream with a series of flumes, tunnels, and wingdams.
The gold-bearing gravels were removed from the
bedrock and sent through sluices or long toms. Major
mining activity continued through the early 1900s,
much of the later placer mining done by Chinese. This
district ^\as quite productive again during the 1930s,
when the Sliger, Taylor, and Grit lode mines were
active. Since about 1955, numerous skin divers have
been mining the Middle Fork of the American River
b\' small-scale methods.

Geology. There are two northwest-trending belts
of slate of the Mariposa Formation (Upper Jurassic)
Yz to one mile apart. Chert, impure quartzite, and slate

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 27. Mining Operotions, Grizzly Flat District. The photo was taken in the ISSOs. Photo courtesy of Bancroft Library.

lie to the west, and greenstone and amphibolite schist
lie in the center and to the east. A number of small
lenticular bodies of serpentine and talcose schist are
enclosed in the bedrock, which is deeply weathered in
places.

Ore Deposits. There are several wide and some-
times extensive zones of quartz veins and veinlets and
mineralized schist containing free gold and auriferous
pyrite. Where deeply weathered, the bedrock was
eroded, and the gold in the seams and veinlets re-
mained and became concentrated. Such deposits are
known as seam deposits or "seam diggings". The upper
portions were mined by hydraulicking, and later the
unweathered veins at depth were mined by conven-
tional underground methods. Considerable specimen
material has been recovered from this district, includ-
ing crystallized gold. The famous Fricot nugget of
crystallized gold (201 ounces), which was taken from
the Grit mine in 1865, is on display in the Division
of Mines and Geology exhibit in the Ferry Building,
San Francisco. Milling-grade ore bodies commonly
averaged 1/5 to more than 1/2 ounce of gold per ton.
Some of the veins were mined to inclined depths of
2000 feet.

Mines. Admiral Schley, Argonaut 1100,000+,
Bazocoo, Cedarburg, Centennial, Esperanza $100,-
000+, Eagle, French Hill 1100,000+?, Greenwood,
Grit, Hines-Gilbert $100,000+, Homestake, Maltby,
Nancy Lee, Oakland Cons., Railroad Hill, Red Mount,

Revenge, Rosecranz $100,000+, San Martin, Sebas-
topol, Sliger $2.85 million, Taylor $1 million.

Bibliography

Clork, W. B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, Grif,
Rosecranz, and Sliger mines: California Jour. Mines and Geology,
vol. 52, pp. 415-416, 423-424, and 425-426.

Fairbanks, H. W., 1890, Geology of the Mother Lode region: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 81-82.

Lindgren, Woldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio,
California: U. 5. Geol. Survey, Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, pp.

Logon, C. A., 1935, Mother Lode gold belt of California, Seam mines:
California Div. Mines Bull. 108, pp. 43-47.

Preston, E. B., 1893, Taylor mines: California Min. Bur. Repf. 11,
p. 205.

Ronsome, F. L., 1900. Mother Lode district folio, California: U. S.
Geol. Survey, Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Grizzly Flat

Location. The Grizzly Flat district is in south-cen-
tral El Dorado County about 25 miles east of Placer-
ville. It is in the Sierra Nevada east gold belt and in-
cludes the Hazel Valley and Baltic Peak areas. It is
both a lode and placer gold-mining district.

History. The streams were originally mined during
the gold rush. The camp was established in 1850 and
named for a grizzly bear that surprised a group of
miners during an evening meal. The Mt. Pleasant mine
was discovered in 1851. There was much activity in
both the lode and placer mines from the 1870s through
the early 1900s. There was some mining activity again
during the 1930s. The Hazel Creek mine was discov-

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

ered in 1948 and was worked on a fair-sized scale
until 1958.

Geology. The southern part of the district is un-
derlain by granodiorite, which extends west from the
mass of the Sierra Nevada batholith. To the north is
slate, phyllite, and graphitic and mica schist of the
Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to Permian),
which in places contains small tactite bodies. There
are several patches of Tertiary gravels overlain by
andesite that are part of the south-extending Tertiar\'
channel of the Mokelumne River.

Ore Deposits. A number of north-trending quartz
veins and stringers are found in both the granodiorite
and metamorphic rocks. The ore contains free gold
and abundant sulfides, especially galena. The ore aver-
ages Yz to more than one ounce of gold per ton, but
few ore shoots were more than 100 feet long or at-
tained much depth. The Tertiary channel gravels are
thin and the channels narrow, but in some places they
were extremely rich.

Mines. Lode: Blue Gt)uge, Cosumnes (Melton)
$100,000-f. Daily and Bishop, Eagle, Eagle King,
Hazel Creek $ 1 million-|-, Morey, Mt. Hope, Mt.
Pleasant $1 million-|-, Sunday. Placer: Grizzly Flat
drift, Payne drift.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, Blue
Gouge, Cosumnes, and Hazel Creek mines: California Jour. Mines,
vol. 52, pp. 411, 413, and 416-418.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Grizzly Flat district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 177-180.

Lindgren, Waldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Plocerville folio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 180-181.

Logan, C. A., 1938, El Dorado County, Blue Gouge, Melton, and
Mt. Pleasant mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 34, pp. 224-225, 238,
and 241-242.

Tucker, W. B., 1919, El Dorado County, Eagle King and Mt. Pleasant
mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 285 and 292.

Grub Gulch

Location and History. This district is in east-cen-
tral Madera County at the site of the old town of
Grub Gulch, seven miles north of Coarsegold and 35
miles northeast of Madera. The site is at the north-
west end of a 20-mile-long belt that extends from here
southeast through the Coarsegold and Fine Gold dis-
tricts. This district has been the most productive por-
tion of this belt. It includes part of the area that also
was known as the Potter Ridge district. The camp was
established shortly after the discovery of Coarsegold
in 1849. There was much activity from the 1880s
through the early 1900s but very little mining has
been done since. A few small suction dredges were
active in the 1940s and 1950s downstream in the
Chowchilla River.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain by a northwest-trending belt of mica schist and
quarrzite with granodiorite to the west. A series of
gold-cjuartz veins arc variously oriented. The veins
range from one to 10 feet in thickness. The ore con-
tains free gold and varying amounts of sulfides. The

milling-grade ore was reported to have yielded up to
one ounce of gold per ton. The greatest depth of
development is 800 feet.

Mines. Bullion, Butterfly, Conary, Crystal Spring,
Enterprise $100,000, Gam'betta $500,000, Hoboken,
Josephine $360,000, Lucky Bill, Savannah, Starlight,
Woodland.

Bibliography

Irelan, William, Jr., 1890, Potter Ridge mining district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 197-204.

McLaughlin, R. P., and Bradley, W. W., 1916, Madera County, gold:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 539-553.

Hammonlon

Location. The Hammonton district is in south-
central Yuba County along the lower Yuba River
about 10 miles east of Marysville. It is a major dredge
field that extends along the river about eight miles.
It also is known as the Yuba River district.

History. The river and streams here were first
worked during the gold rush by small-scale placer
methods. However, this soon ceased because the river
level was raised by a large influx of hydraulic mine
tailings. Bucket-line dredging began in the district in
1903 under the direction of W. P. Hammon. In 1905
his interests were taken over by Yuba Consolidated
Gold Fields, which had just been organized. This con-
cern perfected large-scale bucket-line dredging here
into one of the most eflficient methods for mining
placer gold. Yuba Dredge No. 20 was one of the
largest gold dredges in existence. The district was
dredged almost continuously from 1903 to 1968 and
was the principal source of gold in California for
some time. The estimated total output from dredging
was estimated in 1964 at 4.8 million ounces.

However, operations have been gradually curtailed;
in 1967 onl\- two dredges were operating. On October
1, 1968 the last dredge was shut down, thus ending
a major industry that had existed for nearl\' 70 years.
More than a billion cubic yards of gold-bearing gravels
were dredged. The extensive piles of gravel have be-
come increasingly important as sources of aggregate.

Gold-Bearing Gravels. The gold-bearing gravels
are in and south of the Yuba River, wliich flows west-
southwest through the area. Digging depths range
from 60 to 80 feet on the upper end to 100 to 125 feet
in the vicinity of the tou n of Hammonton. ."Xs much
as 45 feet of the upper gravels are hydraulic mine-
tailings. Bedrock in the upper eastern end of the field
consists of metamorphic rocks, while, in the central
and western portions, the gravels are underlain by
clav. The gold recoveries have been as follows: M^/yA
in 1915-16; 14('-15«'/yd in 1920-22; 8<'-9«'/yd in
1928-29; 12(*/yd in 1948-49, and 16.56('/vd in 1959.
The hydraulic tailings were reported to have averaged
6f'/yd at the old price. The gravels are medium to fine
and are free-washing. Minor amounts of platinum
were recovered.

According to the April, 1960 issue of .Mining
World, in 1959 Yuba Cons, reported four dredges
treated 16,642,265 cu. yds. with an average content of

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 28. Yuba Consolidated Dredge, Ho

nmonton District. Dredge No. 17 operi
token a decade eorlit

ited in the district in Yuba County until 1966. This photo was

I6.56(' per yard. Reserves in the area were estimated
to be about 93 million cu. yds. Estimates are that about
235 million yds. of gold-bearing gravels are in the field
but be\'ond depths of existing equipment.

Operations. Hammon and Evans, 1903-05 (bought
by Yuba Cons.), r\vo dredges; Marysville Dredging
Co., 1906-25 (bought by Yuba Cons.), five dredges;
Pacific Gold Dredging Co., 1916-23, one dredge; Yuba
Cons. Goldfields, 1905-1968, 21 dredges, not all worked
at the same time.

Bibliography

Doolittle, J. E., 1908, Yuba district: California Min. Bur. Bull. 36,
pp. 88-91.

Lindgren, 1895, Smartsville folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1895, Marysville folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 17, 2 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada,
Yuba dredge field: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 221.

Logon, C. A., 1931, Yuba County, gold dredging: California Div.
Mines Rept. 27, pp. 253-257.

O'Brien, J. C, 1952, Yuba County, Yuba Consolidated Goldfields:
California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 48, pp. 150-151.

Sawin, Herbert, 1946, Placer mining for gold in Colifornia, Deep
gravels dredged successfully; California Div. Mines Bull. 135, pp.
316-322.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Yuba County, gold dredgers: Colifornia Min.
Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 425-437.

Winston, W. B., 1910, Gold dredging in California, Yuba County:
Calif. Min. Bur. Bull. 57, pp. 165-174.

Hardin Flat

Location. This is a small Sierra Nevada east gold
belt district in south-central Tuolumne County. It is
west of Yosemite National Park on the Big Oak Flat
road and two miles east of the tow n of Hardin Flat.
The town was named for "Little Johnny Hardin", an
eccentric Englishman who once owned a sawmill here.

There are a number of small prospects that are inter-
mittently worked, mostly by weekend prospectors.

Geology. The principal rock in the area is grano-
diorite that is cut by narrow aplitic dikes. There are
a number of narrow quartz veins that in places have
yielded small but rich pockets of gold near the sur-
face. Some sulfides are present.

Mines. Five Star, Golden Arrow, Huff, Mayflower,
New Hope, Santa Maria.

Hildreth

Location and History. This district is in east-cen-
tral Madera County at the site of the town of Hildreth
about 35 miles east of Madera. It is on the northwest
end of an indistinct belt of gold mineralization that
extends southeast through the Temperance Flat and
Big Dry Creek districts in Fresno County. Apparently
the chief period of mining in the area was from about
1860 to 1890, with possibly some prospecting and
development again during the 1920s and 1930s. The
district was named for the Hildreth brothers, farmers
who settled here about 1870.

Geology. The principal rock in the district is
medium- to coarse-grained granodiorite with several
narrow northwest-trending beds of slate and schist.
There are a number of north-striking quartz veins con-
taining free gold and often abundant sulfides. The
veins are as much as 20 feet thick, and several have
been developed to inclined depths of about 600 feet.

Mines. Abbey 5100,000-^?, Golconda, Hanover,
Hildreth, Morrow (Moro, Bazinet), .Mud Springs
1250,000, Volcano No. 1 $100,000.

Bibliography

Goldstone, L. P., 1890, Hildreth mining district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 10, pp. 194-197.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Hildralti mining diilrlct: California Min.
Bur. Kept. 8, pp. 202-205.

McLaughlin, R. P. and Bradley, W. W., 1916, Madera County, gold:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 539-553.

Hite Cove

Location and History. Hite Co%e is in central Mari-
posa County on the South Fork of the Merced River.
Placer mining began in the area shortly after the be-
ginning of the gold rush, and the Hite mine was dis-
covered in 1862 by John R. Hite. He operated the
property for 17 years and became quite rich. The mine
was active again during the early 1900s. There has
been some prospecting in the area in recent years.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain by graphitic schist and slate, quartzite, and horn-
fels. These rocks are cut by a variety of aplitic and
granitic dikes, some of which are associated with gold-
quartz veins. There are a number of northwest-strik-
ing quartz veins up to 12 feet thick. The ore contains
native gold and often abundant sulfides. The greatest
depth of development is about 800 feet.

Mines. Brown Bear, Bunker Hill, Confidence,
Emma, Eureka, Georgia Point, Hite $3 million, Hite
Central, Kaderitas, Mexican, Williams.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1957, Mariposa County, lode mines: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 53, pp. 72-187.

Costello, W. O., 1921, Mariposa County, Hite Cove district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 17, p. 94.

Lowell, F. L., 1916, Moriposa County, Hite mine: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 14, pp. 583-584.

Hodson

Location. This district is in the Sierra Nevada west
gold belt in southwestern Calaveras Count>' a few
miles west of Copperopolis. A belt of lode-gold de-
posits extends from the site of the old town of Hod-
son northwest through Salt Springs Valley, a distance
of about 10 miles. At one time this district was also
known as the Felix district.

History. Small-scale placer mining probably was
done here during the gold rush, and the mining of
rich surface pockets soon followed. The district was
highly productive during the 1890s and early 1900s
when the Royal mine and other properties were
worked on a large scale. The 120-stamp mill at the
Royal mine, erected in 1903, was one of the largest
mills in California. The mines were active again during
the 1930s and early 1940s. Copper ore from Copper-
opolis was treated at the Mountain King Mill during
World War II. More recent exploration work, includ-
ing diamond drilling, has been done in the district, but
very little of it has been gold mining.

Geology. On the west side of the mineralized belt
are northwest-trending beds of slate of the Mariposa
Formation (Upper Jurassic). Metavolcanic rocks,
chiefly massive greenstones and amphibolite of the
Logtown Ridge Formation (Upper Jurassic), are on
the east. The central portion has been intruded by
numerous serpentinized bodies in or adjacent to the
northwest-trending Hodson fault zone.

Ore Deposits. The deposits consist of large low-
grade bodies of mineralized schist and greenstone
knoM n as "gray ore," which contain some disseminated
free gold, auriferous pyrite and minor amounts of
other sulfides. The deposits are associated with the
Hodson fault. One of the larger gray ore bodies is
several thousand feet long, 500 feet wide, and has been
mined to an inclined depth of several thousand feet.
Some high-grade pockets have been taken from quartz
veins and stringers containing free gold and sulfides.

Mines. Butcher Shop, Empire, Gold Knoll, Gold
Metal, Mountain King $1 million. Pine Log, Ranch,
Royal $5 million-!-, Wilbur Womble.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, gold:
California Div. Mines ond Geology County Report 2, pp. 32-93.

Knopf, Adolph, 1929, Royal mine: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper
157, p. 72.

Logan, C. A., 1936, Calaveras County, Royal mine: California Div.
Mines Rept. 32, pp. 285-287.

Storms, W. H., 1900, Royal Consolidated gold mine: California Min.
Bur. Bull. 18, pp. 126-127.

Taliaferro, N. L., and Solari, A. J., 1948, Geology of the Copperop-
olis quadrangle: Colifornio Div. Mines Bull. 145, pi. 1.

Tucker, W. B., 1919, Calaveras County, Royal Consolidated ond
Wilbur Womble mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 103, 113.

Homer

Location. The Homer district is on the east slope
of the Sierra Nevada in west-central Mono County in
the vicinity of Lundy Lake, about six miles \\ est of
Mono Lake. The district has also been known as the
May Lundy or Lundy district, because the May Lundy
mine was the principal source of gold here.

History, .\lthough this area was prospected during
the Comstock silver rush of the 1860s, the lode de-
posits were not discovered until 1877. The district was
organized in 1879. The May Lundy mine was named
for the daughter of W. J. Lundy, who operated a saw-
mill here in the 1870s. This mine was worked on a
major scale until 1911. Accumulated tailings were
treated during the late 1930s, but there has been only
minor prospecting since. The mine has a total produc-
tion of $3 million.

Geology. The principal geologic feature is a two-
to four-mile-wide belt or roof pendant of meta-
morphic rocks that extends northwest along the Sier-
ran crest for many miles. These rocks consist of schist,
slate, and hornfcls of Triassic and Jurassic age. Grano-
diorite lies on both sides of this belt. The Sierra Ne-
vada Mountains here have been prominently shaped
by Pleistocene glaciation.

Ore Deposits. A series of northwest-striking and
southwest-dipping quartz veins are found at or near
the metamorphic-granitic contacts. The veins usually
average two to three feet in thickness. The ore con-
tains free gold, pyrite, and smaller amounts of other
sulfides. Milling-grade gold ore yielded as much as one
ounce per ton with a high content of silver. Several
ore shoots at the May Lundy mine had stoping lengths
of up to 300 feet.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 29. Doss (Ginac

Hornitos District. This 1934 view of the Mariposo County
Ralph Baversfock, from coHecfion of Dr. Horace Parke

Hodsel mill, ot left. Phofo by

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1962, Mines near Yosemite: California Div. Mines
and Geology, Mineral Information Service, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 1-4.

DeGroot, Henry, 1890, Homer district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 10,
p. 342.

Eakle, A. S., end McLaughlin, R. P., 1919, Mono County, May Lundy
mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 166-167.

Sampson, R. J., and Tucker, W. B., 1940, Mono County, May Lundy
and Parrot mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 36, pp. 128-129 and
130-131.

Whiting, H. A., 1888, Homer mining district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 367-371.

Honcut

Location and History. This is a gold-dredging dis-
trict in southwest Butte County along Honcut and
Wilson Creeks northeast of the town of Honcut. The
name comes from Hoankut, an Indian village once
situated on the Yuba River just below the mouth of
Honcut Creek. The Bangor district is just to the east.
The creeks were first worked by hand methods in the
early days. Bucket-line dredging began in 1909 and
continued until around 1920. There was some dragline
dredging in the district during the 1930s.

Geology. Pleistocene gravels and Recent creek
gravels overlie bedrock of greenstone and green schist.
Digging depths averaged about 20 feet. The dredged
area covers about 1000 acres.

Bibliography

Waring, C. A., 1919, Butte County, gold dredging: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 187-198.

Winston, W. B., 1910, Honcut Creek dredging district: California
Min. Bur. Bull. 57, pp. 158-159.

Honey Lake

There are a few small lode-gold mines and prospects
sev'eral miles south of Honey Lake in southeast Lassen
County and eastern Plumas County. These include the
Plinco and Honey Lake mines. The Honey Lake or
Badger mine was discovered in 1900 and worked dur-

ing the 1920s and 1930s. The deposits consist of nar-
row and shallow quartz veins in granitic rock, which
in places contain free gold and pyrite.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1936, Lassen County, Honey Lake gold mines: Califor-
nio Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 435-436.

Hope Valley

This is a small gold- and tungsten-mining district
in northwestern Alpine County about 1 miles west of
Markleeville. The area was first prospected during the
early 1860s, followed by minor intermittent prospect-
ing and development since. Some tungsten was pro-
duced during World War II and the Korean War.

The ore deposits are associated with two north-
trending roof pendants of homfels, quartzite, and
schist that are surrounded by granodiorite. The de-
posits consist of narrow gold-quartz veins and pyrite
and tungsten-bearing garnetiferous tactite. Small
amounts of copper also are present.

Hornitos

Location. The Hornitos district is in the Sierra
Nevada west gold belt in western Mariposa County
about 15 miles west of the town of Mariposa (see
fig. 4) . The district contains a several-mile wide belt of
lode-gold mines that extends from the \'icinity of the
Exchequer Reservoir south-southeast through Hornitos
to the Indian Gulch area.

History. The streams in the area were first worked
in 1849, and lode mining began in 1850 at the Wash-
ington mine. The town was first settled by Me.xicans
who had been driven out of nearby Quartzburg. The
name Hornitos is a diminutive of "homo" or small
bake oven, from the Spanish. Mining activity was
great from the 1860s through the 1880s, lesser from

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

the 1890s to the 1920s. The Mt. Gaines mine was
worked on a major scale during the 1930s. Since
World War II the area has been prospected, but there
has been very little recorded production. Historically,
this is the most productive district of the Sierra Ne-
vada west gold belt.

Geology. The district is underlain by greenstone
and green schist in the west portion and slate in the
east. Also present are smaller amounts of amphibolite,
mica schist, and homfels. A number of small grano-
diorite intrusions are exposed, along the margins of
w hich chiastolite-mica schist has developed.

Ore Deposits. A number of north-trending quartz
veins and stringers containing free gold and varying
amounts of sulfides, chiefly pyrite, are present, as well
as several large bodies of mineralized greenstone or
"gray ore". Some of the veins have very flat dips.
The ore shoots vary considerably in size with stoping
lengths ranging from a few to as much as 400 feet.
Some of the veins have been mined to inclined depths
of more than 1500 feet. Milling-grade ore commonly
contains from Y-, to more than Y^ ounce per ton in
gold.

Mines. Badger $80,000+, Doss $100,000, Duncan,
Lost Douglas, Martinez, Mt. Gaines $3.59 million.
Numbers 1, 5, 8, and 9, Ruth Pierce $600,000, Wash-
ington $2,377,000.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., 1957, Mariposa County, gold: California Jour. Mines
and Geology, vol. 53, pp. 69-1 87.

Costello, W. O., 1921, Mariposa County, Hornitos district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 17, p. 94.

Lowell, F. L, 1916, Moriposa County, gold: Colifornia Min. Bur.
Rept. 14, pp. 575-600.

Hunter Valley

Location and History. This district is in the north-
west corner of Mariposa County, in the general area
of Hunter Valley, the Don Pedro Reservoir and Lake
McClure. It was named for William W. Hunter, a
well-known engineer. There was extensive placer gold-
mining here during the 1850s and some copper mining
in the 1860s. The lode gold mines were active until
the early 1900s. Some mining was done again during
the 1930s, and the Pyramid mine has been prospected
recently.

Geology. The district is underlain by northwest-
trending belts of slate of the Mariposa Formation
(Upper Jurassic) and greenstones, chert and slate of
the Amador Group (Middle to Upper Jurassic). Sev-
eral small diorite and granodiorite intrusions are
mapped.

Ore Deposits. A number of northwest-striking sys-
tems of gold-quartz veins are in the slate, chert and
greenstone. Numerous stringers and cross veins are
present. A number of high-grade pockets have been
found. The ore contains free gold and often abundant
sulfides, and milling ore commonly averaged one ounce
per ton in gold. None of the veins have been mined
to depths of more than a few hundred feet.

Mines. Blue Cloud, Cotton Creek, Iron Duke,
Morning Star, Oak and Reese $500,000-$60O,O00, Or-

ange Blossom, Pyramid $200,000, Schoolhouse, Yel-
lowstone.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., 1957, Mariposa County, Ooks and Reese and Pyramid
mines: Colifornio Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 53, pp. 145-147 and
158.

Costello, W. O., 1921, Mariposa County, Hunter Valley district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 94-95.

Turner, H. W., and Ronsome, F. I., 1897, Sonora folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Altos of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Indian Diggings

Location. This district is in south-central El Do-
rado County about 30 miles southeast of Placerville.
It includes the Indian Diggings, Henry Diggings, Omo
Ranch and Brownsville areas. Indian Diggings is best
known as a placer-mining district, but there are a
number of lode deposits. The Fairplay district lies to
the west.

Geology. The district is underlain by quartz-mica
schist, graphitic slate, green schist, quartzite, and lime-
stone. The central part of the area has been intruded
by a round quartz-diorite stock. Portions of the bed-
rock are overlain by patches of Tertiary auriferous
gravel and extensive andesite flows.

Ore Deposits. The channel gravels are part of the
Tertiary Mokelumne River, which extends south into
this area from the Grizzly Flat district. The channel
then extended west and southwest toward Fiddletown
in Amador County. Indian Diggings was on a branch
of this channel. Large amounts of gold came from
these channel deposits, especially those at Indian Dig-
gings, where the bedrock is limestone that contained
numerous rich potholes. Mining was done by both
hydraulicking and drifting. A number of narrow
north-striking quartz veins in quartz diorite contain
small but often rich ore shoots. The ore contains free
gold and abundant pyrite, galena, and smaller amounts
of other sulfides.

Mines. Placer: April Fool, Armstrong, Carrie Hale,
Chic, Christion, Deep Channel, Dorsey, Drusy, Hay-
ward, Hidden Treasure, Irish Slide, Last Chance, Little
Bill, Lucky Jack, Old Chink, Omo, Patterson, Payne,
Peacock, Richmond, Syracuse, Telegraph, Tomcat,
Yellow Aster, Yellowjacket. Lode: Black Oak, Gold
Note, Independence, Polar Bear, Potosi, Stillwagon.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, Placer
deposits: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 52, pp. 429-435.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiory gravels of the Sierra Nevoda:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 180-181.

Lindgren, Waldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio,
California: U. S. Geo!. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. $., folio 3, 3 pp.

Indian Hill
Indian Hill is in western Sierra County about 10
miles west of Downieville and just south of the Brandy
City district. Much of the production here has come
from the Indian Hill and Depot Hill hydraulic mines.
These mines were extensively worked from the 1850s
to the 1880s, and intermittent development work and

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

mining continued through the 1930s. The Depot Hill
mine has been prospected recently. The deposits are
on the LaPorte-Brandy City Tertiary channel. The
lower gravels contain abundant quartz and are as much
as 100 feet thick. They are overlain in places by inter-
volcanic gravels and andesite. Bedrock is granite with
amphibolite to the west and slate, schist, and serpen-
tine to the east. There are also a few gold-quartz veins
in the district.

Bibliography

Logon, C. A., 1929, Sierra County, Indian Hill mine: California Div.
Mines Rept. 25, pp. 192-193.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1920, Sierra County, Indian Hill mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 13-14.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Inskip

Location. Inskip is in northeastern Butte County
about seven miles north of Sterling City. The Kim-
shew district lies to the east and the Magalia district
to the south. The area was active before and during
the early 1900s.

Geology. There are a number of narrow gold-
quartz veins in slate, amphibolite and greenstone. The
ore bodies usually are small but contain abundant sul-
fides.

Mines. Bluebird, Cain, Excelsior, Fitzpatrick, In-
skip, Lost Treasure, Midas, Rawhide, Walker, Wild
Yankee.

Bibliography

Waring, C. A., 1919, Butte County, gold-quartz mines: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 211-224.

Iowa Hill

Location. The Iowa Hill district is in central Placer
County in the vicinity of the old mining town of that

name. It is an extensive placer-mining district that in-
cludes the Roach Hill, Monona Flat, Strawberry Flat,
Succor Flat, Grizzly Flat, Shirttail Canyon, and Kings

Hill areas.

History. Placer mining began along the American
River and its tributaries soon after the beginning of
the gold rush. Hydraulic and drift mining apparently
began here in 1853, and by 1856 the output was as
high as $100,000 per week'. By 1880 more than $20
million had been produced from the district. Drift
mining continued through the early 1900s, and there
was appreciable activity again in the 1930s. Most of
the town was destroyed by fire in 1922. The Big
Dipper, Occidental and a few other mines have been
intermittently worked in recent years. Also snipers
and skin divers have been active in the district.

Geology. A main Tertiary channel of the Ameri-
can River crosses the area. There are numerous
branches and intervolcanic channels, including the
Succor Flat intervolcanic channel, which comes in
from the northeast, and the west-trending Morning
Star and Grizzly Flat deep channels. The deep channel
gravels are well-cemented and in places yielded Vi
ounce of gold or more per yard. The lowest seven
feet were the richest but there also were some rich
benches. The bedrock is uneven, and consists of hard
slate and phyllite of the Cape Horn Formation (Car-
boniferous) and amphibolite, which contains a number
of deep and rich potholes. To the east the gravels are
overlain by thick beds of andesite. There are a few
gold-quartz veins in the district.

.Mines. Big Dipper $1.2 million. Blue Wing
Quartz, Brunn, Buckeye, Campbell, Canyon, Carey,
Copper Bottom, Dewey Cons., Drummond, Elizabeth
Hill, Excelsior, Fitzpatrick, Glcason $1 million-)-,
Golden Star, Golden Streak, Goodwin, Haymes, H
and H, Iowa Hill, Irish and Bryne, Jupiter, Keystone,
King's Hill Point, King's Hill Quartz, Lebanon, Mo-
hawk, Morning Star, Occidental, Old Jupiter, Penn

xhmsm'WA

Photo 30. Big Dipper Drift Mine, Iowa Hill District. This early view of the Plocer County mine looks cost. Photo courtesy of Calif. Slate Library.

Califqrnia Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

. ^ T^^ — ^PENN VALLEY ^.

i^^^MONONA /strawberry „..„„„„ \

7^ PI AT^ SUCCOR \

vy>» ^Kc-" COPPER BOTTOM

<STAR LITTLE INDIAN ^^"^ r'^RMOI^LL

EXPLANATION

di!-) Hydraulic mine
>- Adit
B Shaft
_jj ,'' Tertiory channel (approximate course)
>t— Direction of flow

Figure 11. Map of lowo Hill Ditfrict, Placer County. The mop ihow» mine loeotions ond Terfiory channel cour.ei. AIIt Chandra, 1961, Plate 3,

and Hobson, 1890.

Valley, Randall, Roach Hill, Star United, Strawberry,
Twenty One, Welcome, Winchester, Wisconsin Hill,
Union.

Bibliography

Chandra, D. K., 1961, Geology and mineral deposHs of the Colfax
nd Forejthill quodronglei: California Div. Minei Spec. Rept. 67, 50 pp.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 31. Amodor-Stor Mine, Jackson-Plymouth District. This 1952 view of the
Amador County mine looks west. The dump is composed moinly of block slote. Photo
by D. W. Carlson.

Hobson, J. B., 1890, Iowa Hill mining district: California Min. Bur.
Repf. 10, pp. 419-425.

Jormon,' Arthur, 1927, Iowa Hill: California Min. Bur. Rept. 23,
pp. 86-87.

lindgren, Waldemar, 1900, Colfax folio: U. S. Geo!. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada,
Iowa Hill and Wisconsin Hill: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73,
pp. 148-149.

Logon, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, Big Dipper,
Morning Star, and Succor Flat channel mines: California Div. Mines
Rept. 32, pp. 52-54, 65-66, and 79.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Placer County, Iowa Hill district; California
Min. Bur. Rept. 16, p. 318.

Irish Hill

Location. The Irish Hill district is in northwestern
Amador County about five miles north of lone. It
includes the Muletown and the Forest Home areas.

Geology. Several extensive patches of Eocene
quartz-rich channel gravels and younger gravels exist.
They were first mined by ground sluicing and hy-
draulicking and later by dragline dredging. Bedrock
consists of slate, phyllite, greenstone, and amphibolite.
There are also several copper mines here.

Bibliography

Piper, A. M., Gale, H. S., Thomas, H. E., and Robinson, T. W., 1939,
Geology and ground-water hydrology of the Moketumne area: U. S.
Geol. Survey Water Supply Paper 780, plate I.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of
the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Jackson-Plymouth

Location. A 20-mile-long belt of gold mineraliza-
tion runs through western Amador County. On the
belt, a portion of the Mother Lode, are the towns of
Jackson, Sutter Creek, Amador City, Drytown, and

Plymouth. Because of the uniform nature of the gold
mineralization along this belt, the several districts and
sub-districts have been grouped together here under a
Jackson-Plymouth heading.

History. This entire belt was settled early in the
gold rush when the streams were placer-mined. Jack-
son was settled by California Spanish at least as early
as 1849. It was first known as Botilleas, but the name
was soon changed in honor of Colonel Alden Jackson.
Sutter Creek was named for Captain John A. Sutter
who visited the region in 1846. Amador City was
settled in 1851 and Plymouth in 1852. Drytown
flourished from 1848 until 1857 when rich placer
deposits were worked. Most of the important lode
deposits were discovered during the 1850s. The Argo-
naut mine was first developed in 1850, the South
Spring Hill and Lincoln in 1851, the Plymouth in 1852,
the Original Amador and Keystone in 1853, the Cen-
tral Eureka in 1855 and the Kennedy in 1856. Lode
mining developed into a major industry that was to
last 90 years.

By 1875 mines such as the Keystone, South Spring
Hill, Oneida, Old Eureka, and Plymouth had become
large and highly profitable operations. However, the
Argonaut, Kennedy, Central Eureka, Bunker Hill,
Fremont-Gover, and Lincoln Cons. (Lincoln, Wild-
man, and Mahoney), major gold sources of a later
date, did not become important until the 1880s and
1890s. The properties constituting the Plymouth Cons,
mine were consolidated in 1883, the Kennedy Mining
and Milling Company was organized in 1885, and the
Argonaut Mining Company in 1893. From the 1890s
until 1942, this belt was one of the more important
gold-mining districts in the narion. The value of pro-

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 32. Central Eureka Mine, Jackson-Plymouth District. This
1952 view of the Amador County mine looks northeost at the Old

Eureka shoft. The mine wos shut down
token. Photo by Jeffrey Schweitzer.

year after the photo was

duction ranged from $2 million to $4 million annually.
Several thousand miners were employed, many of
whom were of Italian, Austrian, and Serbian extrac-
tion.

There were two noted lawsuits between the Argo-
naut and Kennedy mines in 1894 and 1897 in which
the former accused the latter of conducting mining

operations in their ground. Several disastrous fires have
occurred in the district, including one at the Argonaut
mine in 1922 that caused the loss of 47 lives. This fire
began on the 3350-foot level of the mine and trapped
a whole shift of miners on the 46S0-foot and 4800-
foot levels.

Photo 33. Kennedy Mine and Mill, Jacbon-Plymouth District. This
view, looking north, shows the Amador County mine and 100-stamp
mill in about 1936. At that time, the Kennedy was the deepest mine

in the United Stotes, with a vertical depth of 5,912 feet. Photo
courfesy of Calif. State Library.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 34. Kennedy Mine, Recent View. Thii view, to the north,
shows the tailings wheels, headframe and remaining building»at

the Amador County mine. The structures ore now a historical dis-
play. Photo by Mary Hill.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 35. Argonaut Mine and Mill, Jackson-Plymouth District. This view of the Amador County mine, in about 1920, looks west. In 1922, on un-
derground fire in this mine took 47 lives. Photo cour>esy of Calif. Slait library.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 36. Plymouth Consolidated Mine, Jackson-Plymouth District. This view, to the south-
west, shows the Empire shaft at the Amador County mine in 1952. Photo by D. W. Cor/son.

As mining operations progressed to greater and
greater depths, costs increased, especially because in
some mines, the grade of ore decreased at depth and
it became necessary to mine larger amounts. A number
of immense mills were erected, including those at the
Kennedy mine, which employed 100 "stamps" each,
one at the South Eureka with 80 "stamps" and those
at the Argonaut and Oneida, which had 60 "stamps"
each. The ground became extremely heavy at depth
and required much timbering. As costs continued to
increase during the early 1900s and were accelerated
during World War I, a number of mines were shut
down. The South Spring Hill mine was shut down
in 1902, the Lincoln Cons., in 1912, the Oneida and
Zeila in 1914, the South Eureka in 1917, and the
Bunker Hill and Treasure in 1922. However, the dis-
trict continued to yield large amounts of gold as the
Argonaut, Kennedy, Central Eureka and others in-
creased the size of their operations. The Old Eureka
and Central Eureka merged in 1924; the new opera-
tion was known as the Central Eureka, for a time as
the Hetty Green, as it was controlled by that finan-
cier. The district's output increased after the 1934 rise
in the price of gold. The veins continued to be devel-

oped at greater and greater depths until the Argonaut
and Kennedy became the deepest mines in the coun-
try. Each has a vertical depth of more than 5900 feet.
The Central Eureka, South Eureka, and Plymouth
Cons, are more than 4000 feet deep.

All of the mines were shut down soon after the
beginning of World War II. The Central Eureka mine
was reopened in 1945, but because of greatly increased
costs it was shut down again in 1953. This was the
last active major gold mine on the Mother Lode.

Jackson-Plymouth was the most productive district
of the Mother Lode belt, with a total output estimated
by the author at about $180 million. If large-scale gold
mining were ever to be done here again, it would be
most desirable to consolidate the major mines and
operate them as a unit. Some are connected under-
ground and all produced considerable water.

The remaining surface plant of the Kennedy mine
is now a museum. The large wooden tailing wheels
and the superintendent's office at this mine, long noted
landmarks, are historical displays. Several other dis-
tinctive old mine buildings have been preserved, in-
cluding the Keystone mine office, which is a motel,
and the Zeila office, which is a private home.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

EXPLANATION

Auriferous gravel

Mariposa Formotion. Slofe,
some conglomerote

Calaveras Formation. Schist,
slate ond metactiert

AMADOR
COUNTY

CALAVERAS
COUNTY

Figure 12. Geologic Mop of Jackjon-Plymouth District, Amador County. The locotions of the mines are
shown. After Turntr, 1894a; Lindgrtn and Turner, 1894; Knopf, 1929, ond Cor/son ond Clark, 1954.

Geology. The gold deposits are in a north- and
northwest-trending mile-wide belt of gray to black
slate of the Mariposa Formation (Upper Jurassic),
with some interbcddcd coarse and occasionally sheared

conglomerate and minor sandy and gritty layers (fig.
12). Massive greenstone of the Logtown Ridge For-
mation (Upper Jurassic) lies west of the belt of Mari-
posa Formation slate. Metasedimentary rocks, chiefly

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

4800 LEVEL

EXPLANATION

{^For figures 13, 14, and 15 j

Slote of Mariposa Formation

Greenstone of Logtown
Ridge Formation

Gold-quartz vein

2600 LEVEL

Figure 13 (topleft). Section through Argonaut Mine. After Knopf, 1929.
Figure 14 (fop right). Section through Kennedy Mine. After Knopf, 1929.
Figure 15 (bottom). Section through Keystone mine. AHet logon, 1935.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

graphitic schist, metachcrt and amphibolite schist of
the Calaveras Fomiation (Carboniferous to Permian)
are to the east. Several deposits of Tertiary auriferous
channel gravels are exposed south of Jackson.

Ore Deposits. The ore bodies occur in massive and
sheared quartz veins often with abundant fault gouge.
The veins are mainly in slate of the Mariposa Forma-
tion. The veins sometimes are tens of feet thick; in
places the Keystone vein is as much as 200 feet thick.
Usually there are many stringers. The ore bodies
contain disseminated fine free gold, pyrite, and minor
amounts of other sulfides. The sulfides usually average
one to two percent of the ore. In addition, greenstone
bodies with disseminated auriferous pyrite known as
"gray ore" sometimes are adjacent to the quartz veins
at depth. The milling ore usually is low to moderate
in grade (Y-, to % ounce of gold per ton), but a
number of the veins have been mined to inclined
depths of 4000 to 6000 feet. The ore shoots usually
had stope lengths of 200 to 500 feet, but pitch lengths
were much greater, and often nearly vertical. A num-
ber of high-grade pockets were found. The ground
was nearly always heavy and required much timber-
ing. During mining operations, it was usually neces-
sary to fill stoped-out areas with waste.

Mines. Alma, Alpine, Amador Gold $100,000-}-,
Amador King |100,000-|-, Amador Queen No. 1
$100,000-1-, Amador Queen No. 2 $100,000-f, Ama-

dor Star $100,000-)-, Anita, Argonaut $25.2 million,
Ballard, Bay State $100,000-(-, Bellwether, Bunker
Hill $5.1 million, Central Eureka Group $36 mil-
lion, Crown Point, Detert Group, Fremont-Gover
$5 million, Good Hope, Italian $140,000-f, Harden-
bergh $100,000-|-, Kennedy $34.28 million. Key-
stone $24 million, Lincoln $2.2 million. Mammoth,
Mayflower, Mineral Point, Moore $564,000-}-, New
London, North Star et al., Oneida $2.5 million-|-.
Original Amador $3.5 million, Plymouth Cons. $13.5
million, Potosi, South Eureka $5.3 million. South Jack-
son, South Spring Hill $1.1 million. Treasure $1 mil-
lion, V^alpanso $100,000-1-, Wildman-Mahoney $5
million, Zeila |5 million-f .

Bibliography

Brown, J. A., 1890, Amador County: California Min. Bor. Repf. 10,
pp. 98-123.

Carlson, D. W., and Clark, W. B., 1954, Mines and mineral resources,
Amador County, lode gold mines: California Jour. Mines and Geology,
vol. 50, pp. 167-195.

Fairbanks, H. W., 1890, Geology of the Mother Lode region: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 67-78.

Irelon, William, Jr., 1888, Amador County, Mother Lode mines;
California Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 41-96.

Knopf, Adolph, 1929, The Mother Lode system of California: U. S.
Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 157, pp. 49-70.

Logon, C. A., 1927, Amador County, gold quartz mines: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 23, pp. 149-185.

Logan, C. A., 1935, Mother Lode gold belt of California: California
Div. Mines Bull. 108, pp. 55-124 and 141-142.

Preston, E. B., 1893, Amador County, quartz mines: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 11, pp. 139-146.

Photo 37. Eogle-Showmut Mine, Jacksonville District. This 1914 view,
looking northeast, shows the lOO-stomp mill, the tramway and the tail-

ings pond at the Tuolumne County mine. The Tarantula min
Photo courtesy of Tuo/umne County Museum.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 38. Crystal!

Mine, Jamestown District. This is an early view of the Tuolumne County mine. Photo
Covnly Museum.

rfesy of Juotumne

Ransome, F. I., 1900, Mother lode district folio, California: U. S.
Geo). Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1900, The Mother Lode region-Amodor County: Coli-
fornia Min. Bur. Bull. 18, pp. 43-87.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio, Californio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Amador County, gold: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 14, pp. 14-52.

Jacksonville

Location. This district is in southwestern Tuol-
umne Count)'. It is in that portion of the Mother
Lode belt that extends through the vicinity of south-
east Jacksonville to the vicinity of Moccasin Creek.
The Jamestown district is just to the north, the Big
Oak Flat-Groveland district is to the east, and the
Coulterville district is to the southeast.

History. Jacksonville, named for Colonel Alden
Jackson — as was the town of Jackson in Amador
County — was founded as a supply center in 1848. The
placer deposits here were extremely rich, credited with
a production of $9 million. Lode mining began in the
district in the late 1850s. The Eagle-Shawmut mine
was operated on a large scale from 1897 until 1942.
The district was served for some years by the Hetch-
Hetchy Railroad.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The deposits occur
near or at the contact between serpentine on the west
and slate and schist on the east interlayered with a
number of narrow bands of greenstone. The ore de-
posits consist chiefly of large but low-grade bodies of
pyrite ankerite-quartz and mariposite-ankerite-quartz
rock and numerous pyrite-quartz stringers. Most of
the gold values are in the sulfides; there is not much
free gold. The ore zones were as much as 180 feet in
thickness. There are several adjacent but relatively
barren massive bull quartz veins. Mining extended to
depths of 3000 feet. The ore usually contained %
ounce or less gold per ton; for years the mill heads
at the Eagle-Shawmut mine averaged about 12.75 per
ton.

Mines. Clio |100,000-|-, Eagle-Shawmut |7.4 mil-
lion, Harriman 1100,000+, Mammoth $100,000, Moc-
casin, Orcutt, Republican, Tarantula $100,000-f-,
Wheeler.

Bibliography

Knopf, Adolph, 1929, The Mother Lode system of California, Eagle-
Shawmut and Clio mines: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 157, pp.
79-83.

Logon, C. A., 1935, Mother Lode gold belt of Colifornia: Clio, Eagle-
Shawmut ond Harriman mines: California Div. Mines Bull. 108, pp.
159-160 and 162-165.

Ransome, F. L., 1900, Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1900, Eagle-Shawmut mine: California Min. Bur. Bull.
18, pp. 132-133.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Tuolumne County, Eogle-Showmut mine: Coli-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 146-147.

Turner, H. W., ond Ransome, F. L., 1897, Sonora folio California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Jamestown

Location. The Jamestown district is in western
Tuolumne County. It consists of that portion of the
Mother Lode belt that extends from French Flat
southeast through Rawhide, Jamestown, Quartz
Mountain, and the town of Stent to the vicinity of
the Belcher mine, a distance of about eight miles. It
also has been called the "Jimtown" district.

History. The streams and rich surface ores were
first worked in the gold rush. Jamestown was estab-
lished in 1848 by Colonel George F. James, a lawyer.
Hydraulic mining began at Stent soon afterward, and
the lode mines were active from the 1860s on. The
placers at nearby Campo Seco yielded S5.5 million
and those at Jamestown S3 million. From around 1890
to World War I lode mining was a major industry;
in 1906 more than 300 stamps were "dropping" in the
various mills. There was some activity again during
the 1920s and appreciable activity during the 1930s.
There has been minor prospecting and development
work in recent years at a few of the mines. The value

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

^ Lode gold

Figure 16. Geologic Mop of Jamestown District, Tuolumne County.
The mop shows the locations of the mines. Modified from Eric, Strom-
quitt and Swlnney, 1955.

of the total output of this district is estimated at more
than J30 million.

Geology. In the north portion of the district, the
deposits occur along a northwest-striking contact with
serpentine to the southwest and phyllite, slate, and
metacongiomerate to the northeast (fig. 16). In the
central and south portion, the deposits are at or near
the contact between massive greenstones and slates on
the west and chlorite and amphibolitc schist to the
east. Latite of Tuolumne Table Mountain crosses the
belt north of Jamestown, and Tertiary gravel deposits
underlie the latite in the vicinity of the town of Raw-
hide and to the southwest. At Quartz Mountain the
Mother Lode belt swings from a northwest-southeast
strike to almost due south.

Ore Deposits. Outcrops consist of massive quartz
veins up to several tens of feet in thickness, adjacent
bodies of ankerite-quartz-mariposite rock which some-
times are scores of feet thick, as well as bodies of min-
eralized schist and numerous parallel quartz stringers.
These deposits often contain abundant disseminated
sulfides (as much as eight to 10 percent of the total
rock), which are mostly pyrite. The gold occurs in the
native state or with pyrite. Milling-grade ore usually
averaged ]/■; to Vs ounce gold per ton, but the ore
shoots were large. The ore shoots had stoping lengths
of as much as 400 feet or more, and several veins were
mined to inclined depths of several thousand feet. \
number of high-grade pockets have been found in
this district. In places silver is abundant, and tellurides
have been encountered.

Alines. Alabama $150,000, Alameda, ■\nderson,
App-Heslep $6.5 million. Belcher, Crystalline $100,000,
Defender, Dutch-Sweenev $3 million, Erin-go-bragh
$282,000, Golden Rule, Harvard $2 million to $3 mil-
lion, Hitchcock, Jumper $5 million, Mazeppa, New
Era, Nugget, Omega, Rappahannock, Rawhide $6 mil-
lion, Santa Ysabc! $1.5 million.

Bibliography

Eric, J. H., Stromquist, A. A., and Swinney, C. M., 1955, Geology of
the Angels Camp and Sonera quadrangles: California Div. Mines Spec.
Rept. 41, 55 pp.

Fairbanks, H. W., 1890, Geology of the Mother lode region: Coll.
fornio Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 50-56.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, App, tteslep, and Gem mines: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 660-664.

Knopf, Adolph, 1929, The Mother lode system of Colifornio: U. S.
Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 157, 88 pp.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 39. Harvard Mine, Jamestown District. This 1955 view shows a massive
quartz vein at the Tuolumne County mine. Photo by D. W. Carlton.

Photo 40. Jumper Mine, Jamestown District. This view of the Tuolumne County mine was token in about 1910. Photo courtesy of Calif. Sfala Library.

'^«,iFORNiA Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 41. Rawhide Mine, Jamestown District. This northward view,
token probobty in the 1890s, shows the Tuolumne County mine ond

the town of Rawhide. The headframe and hoisting works are in the
right center. Photo courtesy o^ Tuo/umne County Mutevm.

Logan, C. A., 1928, Tuolumne County, quartz mines: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 24, pp. 8-9.

Logon, C. A., 1935, App, Dutch, Harvard, Jumper, and Rawhide
mines: Colifornia Div. Mines Bull. 108, pp. 156-158, 161-162, 165-168,
and 171-172.

Ransome, F. L., 1900, Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1900, The Mother Lode region-Tuolumne County:
California Min. Bur. Bull. 18, pp. 128-141.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Tuolumne County, Dutch, Harvard, Jumper, and
Rawhide mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 145-146, 149-151,
152-153, and 159-160.

Turner, H. W., and Ransome, F. I., 1897, Sonora folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Jenny Lind

Location. This district is between the towns of
Jenny Lind and Milton in western Calaveras County.
It extends west into eastern San Joaquin and north-
eastern Stanislaus Counties. The area was first worked
during the gold rush, and later hydraulicked. There
was dredging here from 190.^ until about 1940 and also
small-scale lode mining. The district has yielded more
than 100,000 ounces of gold.

Geology. The gold values are in river gravels and
floodplain deposits in and adjacent to the Calaveras
River. There are older terrace and shore gravels, some
of which are overlain by hardpan. In places hydraulic
mine tailings overlie the gravels. Dredging depths
ranged from 20 to 40 feet, with the average nearer 20
feet. Recovered gold values ranged from \0^ to 30^
per yard and hydraulic tailings were around lO^i per
yard. There are a number of narrow gold-quartz veins
in greenstone in the eastern portion of the district.

Dredging Operations. Butte Dredging Co., Cala-
veras Gold Dredging Co. 1903-16, El Oro Dredging
Co., Isabel Dredging Co. 1908-25?, Milton Gold
Dredging Co. 193S-?

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, gold:
California Div. Mines and Geology County Rept. 2, pp. 32-93.

Logon, C. A., 1919, Calaveras River area: California Min. Bur. Bull.
85, pp. 32-33.

Logon, C. A., 1936, Calaveras County, ancient shore-line deposits:
California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 324-325.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Calaveras County, gold dredging: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 124-127.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas
of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Winston, W. B., 1910, Gold dredging in California: Colifornia Min.
Bur. Bull. 57, pp. 207-208.

Jerseydale

Location and History. The Jerseydale district is in
west-central Mariposa County. It is about 10 miles
northeast of the town of Mariposa and just east of
Whispering Pines. It includes the Feliciana Mountain
area. The streams were first mined during the gold
rush, and the lode deposits were discovered soon after-
ward. Much activity continued from the 1870s until
the early 1900s. Some mining was done again during
the 1930s, with intermittent prospecting since.

Geology. The principal rocks in the area are slate,
graphite schist and phyllite of the Calaveras Formation
(Carboniferous to Permian) and granitic rocks. Also
present are greenstone and dioritic dike rocks. Numer-
ous narrow quartz veins contain small but rich high-
grade shoots and "pockets". Sulfides are abundant.

Aiijies. Blue Bell, Buffalo, Comet, Early, Feliciana
$159,000, King Solomon, Louisa, Monte Cristo, Roma
$100,000.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., 1957, Mariposa County, Lode mines: Colifornia Jour.
Mines ond Geology, vol. 53, pp. 69-187.

Costello, W. O., 1921, Mariposa County, Jerseydoie-Sweetwater dis-
trict: Colifornia Min. Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 97-98.

Lowell, F. L., 1916, Mariposa County, Feliciana mine: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14. p. 582.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

California Division of Minfs and Gfoi.ocy

Bull. 193

Photo 43. Jamison Mine, Johnsvllle District. This northward view of
the Plumas County mine dotes back to about 1900. The Plumas-Eureica

mine and the town of Johnsville are in the left background. Photo
courtesy of Calif. Division of Beaches and Parks.

Johnsville

Location. The Johnsville district is in south-central
Plumas County. Both a lode- and placer-gold district,
it is at the north end of a major belt of gold minerali-
zation that extends southward through the Sierra City
district in Sierra County (sec fig. 22, p. 116).

History. The river and stream gravels in the gen-
eral area were first placer-mined in 1849 or 1850. The
Eureka quartz vein, discovered in 1851, quickly
brought many miners to the region, and most of the
area was soon covered with claims. Considerable
coarse gold was recovered from the creeks and con-
siderable high-grade ore from the lode mines during
those early years. Both the Plumas-Eureka and the
Jamison mines were operated on a major scale until
the early 1900s, when mining activity in the area
declined. Johnsville was named for William Johns,
manager of the Plumas-Eureka mine. There was inter-
mittent activity in the district from the period of
World War I until around 1943.

The area suffered from a number of disastrous fires.
Part of the tO\vn ai^ some of the mines became
Plumas-Eureka State Pirk in 1959. The value of the

total output of the district is unknown, and there
have been a number of extravagant claims. The author
estimates the production to be somewhere between
$10 million and $20 million. This was a well-known
early-day "snowshoe" or ski resort area.

Geology. A considerable variety of rocks crops
out in this district, including north- and northwest-
trending belts of slate, schist, quartzite, and limestone
on the west; metadacite or quartz porphyry to the
south; a gabbroic intrusion in the central portion; and
greenstone to the east. Portions of the region are over-
lain by Tertiary andesite. Much of the central portion
of the area is covered with glacial detritus. A number
of patches of Tertiary gravels yielded gold in the
early days. Massive bodies of magnetite are found to
the west.

Ore Deposits. There are a number of north- and
northwest-trending quartz veins and several wide com-
plex systems of quartz veins. The individual veins
usually are only a few feet thick. These contain free
gold and often abundant pyrite and varying amounts
of galena, chalcopyrite, and arsenopyrite. A number
of high-grade pockets were taken from near the surface
in the early days. Milling-grade ore contained from a

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

few dollars to more than one ounce gold per ton. The
sulfide concentrates sometimes held more than $150
in gold per ton. The ore shoots had horizontal stoping
lengths of as much as several hundred feet.

Mines. Lode: Jamison $1.5 million-|-, Plumas-Eu-
reka $8 million-]-, Plumas-Mohawk, Round Lake.
Placer: Beckwith Cons, drift, Continental drift, Queen
drift. Brown Bear hydraulic.

Bibliography

Averilt, C. V., 1928, Mines and mineral resources of Plumas County:
California D!v. Mines Rept. 24, p. 261-316.

Averill, C. V., 1937, Mines and mineral resources of Plumas County:
California Div. Mines Rept. 33, pp. 79-143.

Durrell, Cordell, 1959, Tertiary stratigraphy of the Btoirsden quad-
rangle, Plumas County, California: Univ. of Calif., Pubs, in Geol. Sci.,
vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 161-192.

Irelon, William, 1888, Plumas-Eureka mine: California Min. Bur. Rept.
8, pp. 476-478.

Jackson, W. T., 1960, A history of mining in the Plumas-Eureka State
Pork area, 1851-1890: California Div. Beaches and Parks, 56 pp.

Jackson, W. T., 1961, A history of mining in the Plumas-Eureka State
Park oreo, 1890-1943: Calif. Div. Beaches and Porks, 48 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 112.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1920, Plumas County, Johnsville mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 21-27.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Jordan

Location cmd History. This district is in central
Mono County just north of Mono Lake and about
15 miles south of Bridgeport. It is a lode and placer
district that occupies an area on the east flank of the
Sierra Nevada and the Mono Plains. It extends from
Mono Lake north to the Keith district and includes
the areas known as the Mono Diggings and Dogtown
Diggings districts. Mono and Dogtown Diggings were
first mined in 1857, and the district was organized in
1879. Work continued steadily to the early 1900s, but
the greatest output was during the 1870s and 1880s.

Geology. The country rock in the area consists of
homfels, limestone, schist, and slate with granitic rocks
in the Sierra Nevada. To the east are Tertiary ande-
sites, which in places are overlain by sands and gravels
derived from the Sierra Nevada. Auriferous gravel de-
posits occur in ill-defined channels that range from a
few to more than 50 feet in thickness. The gold values
varied considerably. Several quartz veins with abun-
dant sulfides contain copper, silver and some manga-
nese; there is some mineralized schist. The value of
the total output of the district is unknown, but it is
estimated to be several million dollars.

Photo 44. Plumas-Eureka Mine, Johnsville District. This photo of the Plumas County mine was token in about 1900;^ Eureka Peak is in the back-
ground. The mine is now part of Plumas-Eureka State Park.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Bibliop-aphy

Whiting, H. A., 1888, Jordan mining diitrid: California Min. Bur.
Repr. 8, pp. 363-367.

Kearsarge

The Kearsarge district is on the east flank of the
Sierra Nevada about eight miles west of Independence
in Inyo County. The district was named in 1864 for
the U.S.S. Kearsarge, a famous Union warship. The
Re.x Montis mine, the principal gold source, was
worked on a substantial scale from 1875 to 1883, re-
portedly yielding 12,333 ounces of gold and silver
in 1877. The Kearsarge mine also has yielded some
values. The deposits consist of narrow quartz veins
in quartz monzonite that contain native gold, sulfides,
and reportedly native silver.

Bibliography

Moore, J. G., 1963, Geology of the Mount Pinchot quadrangle: U. S.
Geol. Survey Bull. 1130, 152 pp.

Tucker, W. B., 1938, Inyo County, Rex Montis mine: California Div.
Mines Rept. 34, pp. 415-416.

Keith

This district is on the east flank of the Sierra Nevada
in western Mono Count)' about 10 miles northwest
of Mono Lake and just north of the Jordan district.
The principal source of gold apparently has been the
Dunderberg mine, which was first worked in the 1860s
and has been intermittently prospected since. There
are several quartz-barite veins with minor amounts of
free gold and abundant pyrite. Country rock is
granite, quartzite, homfels, and schist.

Bibliography

Eakle, A. S., and McLaughlin, R. P., 1919, Mono County, Dunderberg
mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. IS, pp. 166-167.

Kelsey

Location. The Kelsey district is in northwestern
El Dorado County. It is that portion of the Mother
Lode gold belt that extends from the vicinity of the
town of Kelsey northwest to Garden Valley.

History. This area was placer-mined soon after
James Marshall's gold discovery in 1848 at Coloma, a
few miles to the west. The camp was first settled Ijy
and named for Benjamin Kelsey. Marshall spent his
last days at Kelsey, and a building on his property
once housed a pioneer museum. There was much lode
mining from the 1860s through the early 1900s and
again in the 1930s. Some intermittent work has been
done recently at the Black Oak mine.

Geology and Ore Deposits. A northwest-trending
two-mile-wide belt of gray to black slate of the Mari-
posa Formation (Upper Jurassic) is in the central por-
tion of the district, with greenstone, slate, graphite
schist, and quartzite to the west. Amphibolite, slate,
and schist lie to the east. Serpentine lenses are also
present both to the east and west. The ore deposits
occur in quartz veins with numerous stringers. The
veins range from one to 10 feet in thickness. Nearly
half of the known output of some of the mines has
been from small but extremely rich ore shoots. None
of the mines has been worked to depths of more than
600 feet.

Mines. Big Four, Big Sandy J100,000-|-, Black Oak
J 1.2 5 million. Gopher Hill, Gray Eagle, Hart, Ida
Livingston, Kelsey $100,000-f-. Lady Emma, St. Clair,
Vecrkamp, War I^agle, Yuba.

Bibliography

Clark, W.B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, lode gold
deposits: Californio Jour. Mines and Geol., vol. 52, pp. 40i-429.

Fairbanks, H. W., 1890, Geology of the Mother lode region: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 10, p. 81.

Lindgren, Woldemar, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Plocerville folio,
California: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Logon, C. A., 1935, Mother Lode gold belt of Californio — Big Sandy,
Block Oak, and Kelsey mines: California Div. Mines Bull. 108, pp. 19-21
and 29.

Kern River

The upper Kern River between Bakersfield and
Bodfish was the scene of a rush soon after the dis-
covery of gold at Greenhorn Creek in 1851. However,
the deposits in the river are believed to have been
worked out in a short time. Many lode-gold prospects
are in the area, but the only one of any consequence
is the Gem gold mine near Democrat Springs. Ura-
nium was discovered at Miracle Hot Springs in 1954,
and there was a "boom" that lasted for a few years.
Practically the entire region is underlain by quartz
diorite.

Bibliography

Troxel, B. W., ond Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, Kern River
Canyon district: California Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 1,
p. 38.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1933, Kern County, Gem mine:
California Div. Mines Rept. 29, p. 307.

Keyesvllie

Location and History. This district is in the south-
ern Sierra Nevada in Kern County about 32 miles
northeast of Bakersfield and t\vo miles southwest of
Isabella Dam. Gold was discovered here in 1852 by
Richard M. Keyes, and for a time this was the largest
community in Kern County. The chief periods of
mining were the 1850s, 1860s, 1890s, and 1909-15:
The area was prospected during the 1930s, but little
has been done here since, and Keyesville has become
a ghost town.

Geology and Ore Deposits. \'irtually the entire
district is underlain by quartz diorite. The gold de-
posits occur in a northeast-trending belt about three
miles long. The veins consist of narrow quartz string-
ers with fault gouge that contain free gold and small
amounts of pyrite, arsenopyrite, and pyrrhotite. There
are some placer deposits, including one of possible
Pleistocene age.

Mines. Bright Spot, High Grade, Homestake,
Keyes $450,000, Keyesville, Keyesville Placer, Mam-
moth $500,000, Mooncastle, Nephi, Nob Hill, Oppor-
tunity, Sunrise, Virginia, Will Jean.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Kern County, Keyes district: Colifornio Min. Bur.
Rept. 14, p. 483.

Troxel, B. W., ond Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, Keyesville
district. High Grade mine, and Mammoth mine: California Div. Mines
ond Geology, County Report 1, pp. 38-39, 111-112, and 115-117.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1933, Kern County, Keyes district:
California Div. Mines Rept. 29, p. 283.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Kimshew

Location. The Kimshew mining district is in north-
eastern Butte County and northwestern Plumas
County about 10 miles northeast of Stirling City. It
includes the Golden Summit area to the north.

Geology. There are a number of moderate-sized
deposits of Tertiary and Pleistocene gravel that have
been mined both by hydraulicking and drifting and a
few narrow gold-quartz veins. Bedrock consists of
slate and amphibolite to the west and a granitic stock
to the east.

Mines. Brown, Carr, Cash Entry, Gallagher and
Perkins lode, Golden Summit, Little Johnnie, Ream
and Bumside, Reese and Jones, Snow, Wescott.

Bibliography

Oilier, J. S„ 1895, Lossen Peak folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas
of the U. S., folio 15, 4 pp.

Turner, H. W., 1898, Bidwell Bar folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas
of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

Kinsley

Location and History. This is an extensive district
in the Sierra Nevada east gold belt in north-central
Mariposa County. It is five miles east of Coulterville
and about 25 miles north of Mariposa. The district in-
cludes several places that at various times have been
classified as separate districts but are grouped together
in this publication because they adjoin each other and
are geologically similar. These are the Greeley Hill,
Bull Creek, Gentry Gulch, Smith Ridge, and Dogtown
areas. The Cat Town district lies just to the south and
the Coulterville district to the west. The area was
placer-mined during the gold rush. Much lode mining
was conducted from the 1860s through 1900 and again
in the 1930s. Several mines including the Hasloe and
Horseshoe have been worked intermittently in recent
years.

Geology. The district is underlain by slate, mica
schist, quartzite, hornfels, phyllites and limestone
lenses of the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to
Permian). Present are several small granitic stocks and
a number of diorite, quartz-diorite and aplite dikes. In
places these dikes are associated with the gold-quartz
veins and are important in the localization of the ore
bodies.

Ore Deposits. Numerous north- and west-striking
quartz veins range from one to five feet in thickness.
The ore shoots generally are small, but commonly
rich. The ore contains free gold and often abundant
sulfides including galena and tetrahedrite, which are
associated with rich ore. Molybdenite is present in a
few places.

Mines. Argo $18,000, Bandarita $1.52 million. Bob
McKee, Bondurant $390,000, Bunce, Carrie Todd,
Contention, Cranberry, Garibaldi, Gold King, Hasloe
$3 million. Horseshoe, Last Chance, Lovely Rogers,
Louisiana, Marble Springs $200,000, Moonlight, Quail
$400,000, Red Cloud, Red Mountain, Texas Hill
$74,000-f-.

Bibliography

Bov»en, O. E., 1957, Mariposa County, Bandarita, Bondurant, Hasloe,
and Quail mines: California Journal of Mines and Geology, vol. 53,
pp. 77-81, 106-108, ond 159-161.

Castello, W. O., 1921, Moriposa County, Kinsley district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 95-96.

Turner, H. W., and Ronsome, F. L., 1897, Sonora folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Knighfs Ferry

Location. The Knight's Ferry district is in north-
eastern Stanislaus County and western Calaveras
County. The town is located on the lower Stanislaus
River about 12 miles east-northeast of Oakdale.

History. The district was placer-mined during the
gold rush. The town, which was named for William
Knight, was an important staging and supply center
for the mines and camps of the southern Mother Lode
region. It was the seat of Stanislaus County govern-
ment from 1862 to 1872. The town also was once
known as Dentville for the Dent brothers who were
brothers-in-law of President U. S. Grant. The old
wooden covered bridge that is still standing was re-
portedly designed by Grant in 1854. From the 1870s
through the 1890s, numerous Chinese placer miners
reworked the old tailings and small deposits over-
looked by the Forty-Niners. There was dragline
dredging in the district in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Geology. The east portion of the district is under-
lain by greenstone and quartz porphyry and the west-
em portion by andesite. The gold was recovered from
isolated patches of quartz-rich gravel of Eocene age,
younger channel and terrace deposits buried under or
adjacent to the Plio-Pleistocene latite of Tuolumne
Table Mountain, and Recent gravels in and along the
present channel of the Stanislaus River.

Bibliography

Taliaferro, N. I., ond Solari, A. J., 1948, Geology of the Copper-
opolis quadrongle: California Div. of Mines Bull. 145, plates 1 and 2.

Watts, W. I., 1890, Stanislaus County, gold: Colifornia Min. Bur.
Rept. 10, p. 681.

La Grange

Location. This district is in southeastern Stanislaus
County. It is primarily a dredging field that extends
westward from the town of La Grange along the
Tuolumne River for nine miles. This district also in-
cludes a dredging field two miles to the south, on an
older river channel, and surface "diggings" to the
north. The town, originally known as French Bar,
was founded in 1852, but the name was changed to
La Grange in 1856 in honor of Lafayette's country
home. For a time Bret Harte taught school here. The
estimated output from dredging is $13 million worth
of gold.

Geology. The stream gravels in and adjacent to
the present Tuolumne River are medium to coarse,
loosely consolidated, and average 30 to 35 feet in
thickness. The gravels are underlain by tuff. Dredge
recoveries during the 1920s averaged \\.6^ per yard,
but later recoveries are believed to have been less.

California Division of Minf^ and Geology

Bull. 193

Minor amounts of platinum were recovered. The
dredged area is about nine miles long and Vi mile
wide. A Pleistocene river channel two miles to the
south \\ as dredged for a distance of 1 '/4 miles and is
'X mile wide. Here the gravels were compact with a
thick volcanic overburden. Thin Eocene gravel patches
with abundant quartz boulders and interbedded clay
and sand are exposed to the north.

Concerns. La Grange Gold Dredging Co., 1907-
42 and 1945-51, one dredge, the longest in the state;
Tuolumne Gold Dredging Corp., 1938-43 and 1945-?,
one dredge; Yuba Cons. Goldfields, 1941-42, one
dredge.

Bibliography

Laizufe, C. M., 1925, Stanislaus County, La Grange Gold Dredging
Co.: Californio Min. Bur. Rept. 21, pp. 207-208.

Logon, C. A., 1919, Platinum and allied metals in California, Tuol-
umne River: California Min. Bur. Bull. 85, p. 33.

Logan, C. A., 1947, Gold — Stanislaus County: California Jour. Mines
and Geology, vol. 43, pp. 92-94.

Lowell, F. L., 1916, Stanislaus County, La Grange Gold Dredging
Company: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 629.

Winston, W. B., 1910, La Grange Gold Dredging Company: California
Min. Bur. Bull. 57, pp. 210-211.

La Porte

Location. This district is in southwestern Plumas
County in the general vicinity of the old mining town
of La Porte, 25 miles south of Quincy and 50 miles
northeast of Oroville. It was one of the great placer-
mining districts of the state.

History. The streams were placer-mined early in
the gold rush and were reported to have had very
rich yields. The town, first known as Rabbit Creek,
was renamed in 1857 after La Porte, Indiana. Hy-
draulic mining began in the middle 1850s and con-
tinued through the 1880s. During this time the district
was enormously productive; the output from 1855 to
1871 alone was reported to have been at least $60
million. Appreciable drift mining and some lode min-
ing were carried on. Some mining activity continued
until the period of World War I. The district was
prospected again during the 1930s, but apparently little
mining has been done here since. La Porte was a noted
early-day "snowshoe" or ski resort.

Geology. The main Tertiary channel of the North
Fork of the Yuba River, known as the La Porte chan-
nel, extended south-southwest from Gibsonville into
this district. From here the channel continued south-
west and south again to be joined by a branch from
the east from the St. Louis-Table Rock area. The main
channel today continues on south to the Poverty Hill
and Brandy City districts. At La Porte, the channel
is 500 to 1 500 feet wide and as much as 500 feet thick.
The lower gravels are quartz-rich and up to 80 feet
thick. Most of the gold was recovered from near bed-
rock. The gravels are capped by thick beds of sand
and "pipe" clay. During the heyday of mining in the
district, these lower gravels yielded from Vio to as
much as one ounce of gold per cubic yard. To the east
the channel deposits are capped by andesite as much
as 800 feet thick. Also to the east, considerable fault-

ing has disturbed the channel gravels. Bedrock con-
sists principally of amphibolite, with a one-mile wide
belt of slate and quartzite of the Calaveras Formation
(Carboniferous to Permian) in the central portion.
There are some narrow gold-quartz veins in the dis-
trict.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada;
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 103-113.

Logon, C. A., 1928, Plumas County, La Porte mines: California Div.
Mines ond Mining Report 24, pp. 303-306.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1920, Plumas County, La Porte mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 27-31.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Last Chance

Location. This extensive placer-mining district is
in eastern Placer County in the vicinity of the old
mining camp of Last Chance, 10 miles northeast of
Michigan Bluff and 15 miles northeast of Forest Hill.
It includes the "diggings" here and at Star Town,
Deadwood, and American Hill. Last Chance got its
name when a starving miner used his last bullet to kill
a deer. The mines in the district were operated almost
steadily from the early 1850s until about 1920. There
was some activity again in the 1930s, and the El Do-
rado and Last Chance mines have been intermittently
worked in recent years.

Geology. Most of the gold has come from three
southwest-trending Tertiary channels. The lowest but
youngest is the El Dorado channel, \\ hich is steep,
only about 100 feet wide, and contains coarse gold.
The next youngest is the Sharp Stick channel, which
contains clay and coarse boulders. The oldest is the
Big Channel which is quartzitic, well-cemented, and
up to 800 feet wide. The gravels are capped by ande-
site. Bedrock is slate and schist of the Blue Canyon
Formation (Carboniferous), which encloses some nar-
row north-striking gold-quartz veins.

Mines. Beaman Ledge, Bear Wallow, Central, Dar-
ling, Deep Canyon, Double O, El Dorado, Elkhom,
Golden Riffle, Grizzly, Harkness, Home Ticket $200,-
000+, Hornby, Last Chance, Little Hope, Missouri
Flat, New Caledonia, Pacific, Pacific Slab, Peters, Rat-
tlesnake, Rublin, Sharp Stick, Star Town.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1900, Colfox folio: U. S. Geol. Survey G«ol.
Atlos of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, p. 158.

Logon, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, placer mines:
California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 49-96.

Woring, C. A., 1919, Placer County, drift ond hydraulic mines:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 352-379.

Light's Canyon

Location and History. This district is in northeast-
ern Plumas County in the general area of Light's Can-
yon. It was named for Ephriam Light, a pioneer
rancher. It includes the Moonlight Valley, Indian Val-
ley, Engelmine, and Kettle Rock areas. It is also an

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

important copper-mining district; the Engels and
Superior mines are located here. Placer mining was
originally done in the district during the 1850s and
continued through the early 1900s. The Lucky S lode
mine has been prospected in recent years. For some
years the district was served by the Indian Valley
Railroad.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The central portion of
the district is underlain by granodiorite and quartz
diorite. To the south are various metamorphic rocks
of Paleozoic and Mesozoic age similar to those found
in the Taylorsville district (see Taylorsville district).
North and east are Tertiary gravels and volcanic
rocks. Both the Recent and Tertiary gravels have
yielded moderate amounts of gold. The gold-quartz
veins are narrow, but the ore often is rich. The ore
contains abundant sulfides including pyrite, galena,
chalcopyrite, and sphalerite.

Bibliography

Diller, J. S., 1908, Geology of the Taylorsville region: U. S. Geol.
Survey Bull. 353, 128 pp.

lindgren, Woldemar, 1911, Tertiory gravels of fKe Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 114-116.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1920, Plunras County, light's Canyon mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 31-36.

Lincoln
Lincoln is in western Placer County, 15 miles west
of Auburn and 1 1 miles north of Roseville. The town
was named for Charles Lincoln Wilson, who built
the California Railroad here in 1861. During the 1930s
considerable amounts of gold were recovered by drag-
line dredging from gravels in lower Auburn Ravine,
just east of Lincoln, and in Doty Ravine, a few miles
to the north. This was probably the most profitable
dragline dredge field in the state. Recoveries ranged
from 15 to as high as 60 cents per yard. Digging depths
ranged from 5 to 20 feet. The gravels are underlain
by soft tuff. The total dredged area is about 1 200 acres.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemar, 1894, Sacramento folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 5, 3 pp.

logon, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, Lincoln Gold
Dredging Company: California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 82-83.

Long Tom

Location and History. The Long Tom district is
in the southern Sierra Nevada in central Kern County.
It is 23 miles northeast of Bakersfield and 10 miles
south of Woody. The veins at the Long Tom mine,
the chief source of gold in the district, were discov-
ered prior to 1860 by prospectors looking for the
source of placer gold in nearby creeks. The mine was
considerably active during the 1880s and again from
1925 to 1939. It has an estimated total output of $800,-
000 to $900,000.

Geology. The country rock in the district is quartz
diorite with small gabbroic inclusions. A number of
fracture zones contain small gold-bearing quartz
stringers with minor amounts of sulfides. The deposits
do not extend to depths of more than a few hundred
feet.

Bibliography

Brown, C. G., 1916, Kern County, long Tom district and mine: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 483 and 502.

Goodyear, W. A., 1888, Kern County, gold: California Min. Bur. Rept.
8, pp. 319-320.

Troxel, B. W., and Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, Long Tom
mine: California Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 1, pp. 114-115.

Loraine

Location and History. This district is in the south-
em Sierra Nevada in central Kern County in the vicin-
ity of the town of Paris-Loraine. It is about 35 miles
east of Bakersfield and 12 miles north of Tehachapi.
The area was first prospected in the 1850s, but the
principal period of mining activity was from 1894 until
around 1912. The district was active again in the 1920s
and 1930s, and there has been intermittent prospecting
since. It is also known as the Amalie district.

Geology. The district is underlain by a large roof
pendant of slate and mica schist of the Kernville Series
(Paleozoic?) in quartz diorite and granodiorite. There
are a number of quartz veins ranging from one to 10
feet in thickness which contain free gold and abundant
sulfides, especially silver sulfides. The veins occur in
both the metamorphic and granitic rocks. Milling-
grade ore commonly averages more than Vi ounce of
gold and two ounces of silver per ton. Several ore
shoots had stoping lengths of up to 300 feet, and sev-
eral veins were mined to depths of 600 feet.

Mines. Amalie $600,000, Barbarossa, Cowboy $600,-
000, Deerhunter, Ella, Ferris, Golden Cross, Golden
Peak, New Deal, Zenda 34,000 ounces-|-.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Kern County, Amalie district: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14, p. 482.

Crawford, J. J., 1894, Amalie mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 12,
p. 141.

Tucker, W. B., 1923, Kern County, Amalie mining district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 19, p. 156.

Tucker, W. B., and Sompson, R. J., 1933, Amalie district: California
Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 280-281.

Lowell Hill

Location and History. This district is in south-
central Nevada County about six miles northeast of
Dutch Flat. It includes the Remington Hill, Negro
Jack Hill, and Liberty Hill areas. The district was
hydraulicked from the middle 1850s through the 1870s,
and Liberty Hill was worked again from around 1896
to 1915.

The total output is unknown, but it exceeds $1
million. Lindgren, in 1911, estimated that two million
yards had been removed and 16 million remained at
Liberty Hill and that 1.75 rnillion yards had been re-
moved and 6 million remained at Remington Hill.
Other estimates of remaining gravel at Liberty Hill
range from six to 10 million yards.

Geology. The deposits are in a southwest-trending
Tertiary channel that joins the Dutch Flat channel.
There is a lower well-cemented blue gravel that con-
tains gabbro and serpentine boulders and yielded 18 to
23 cents a yd. An upper quartz-rich gravel is in places

California Division of Minfs and Geology

Bull. 193

covered by heavy cla\'. Bedrock is slate of the Blue
Canyon Formation (Carhonifcrous) and some serpen-
tine.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1900, Colfox folio, Californio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, pp. 146-147.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevado County, Lowell Hill mining district:
Californio Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 30-33.

Magalia

Location. The Magalia district is in north-central
Butte County 15 miles northeast of Chico. It is
bounded on the west b\- Doe Mill Ridge and on the
east by the West Branch of the Feather River. It
extends from Paradise on the south to several miles
west of Powellton on the north. This district includes
the placer deposits at Nimshaw, Forks of Butte,
Mineral Slide and De Sabla and lode deposits at Toad-
town. The Butte Creek dredging district adjoins this
district at Ccnterville.

History. This region was extensively mined during
and after the gold rush. The town was started in 1850
by E. B. Vinson and Charles Chamberlin. It was first
known as Dogtown, renamed Magalia about 1862.
The Magalia mine was discovered in 1855 and the
Indian Springs mine in 1860. Large-scale mining con-
tinued until the 1890s; there was some activity from
the early 1900s through the 1930s. There has been
minor prospecting and development work since World
War II. Some of the old mining properties have been
made into housing subdivisions. The famous 54-lb.
Willard, Dogtown, or Magalia nugget was found here
in 1859. This is one of the more productive placer-
mining districts in the state. Several local residents have
estimated the total output to be S40 million, but that
figure is too high (author). iMuch of the output has
come from drift mines.

Geology. There are a number of south-southwest-
trending steep, narrow, and rich channels. The longest
channel is the Magalia or Mammoth channel that
flowed along the east side of the district. Other pro-
ductive channels include the Dix, Emma, Little
Magalia, Pershbaker, and Nugget channels. In the
south portion of the district there are shore gravels.
The gold was extremely coarse, and a number of other
large nuggets besides the Willard were taken here.
Bedrock is slate and greenstone \\ith smaller amounts
of serpentine. The channels are faulted in places with
the downstream side being thrown up. Water has
always been a problem in the drift mines. A few gold-
quartz veins in greenstone are associated with diorite
dikes.

Mines. Drift: Bader, Black Diamond, Cole, Cory,
Dix, Emma $1 million-|-, Ethel, Genii, Indian Springs,
Kelly Hill, Lucky John, Lucretia, Magalia $1 million,
Mammoth, Mineral Slide, Nuggett, Oro Fino, Parry,
Pershbaker, Pete Wood, Pitts, Princess, Ro\al, Steifer,
Willard. Hydraulic: Centerville, Kohl, ' Red Hill.
Lode: Springer, Toadtown.

/
/
, /

CENTERVILLE-.'.""«£^ff^'-

I '.V* SLIDE',',,

EXPLANATION

^—— Tertiory channel
•'..*• Shore grovels
/■ Adit

B Shoft

5^ Hydroulie mine

Figure 17. Sketch Mop of Magalia District, Butte County. The
northern port of the Butte Creek district is also shown. The channels
ore not all of the same geologic age.

Bibliography

Irelon, Wm., 1888, Mogolio Consolidated mine: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 117-118.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevado:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 84-86.

Logon, C. A., 1930, Butte County, placer mines: California Div. Mines
Rept. 26, pp. 383-406.

Preston, E. B., 1893, Willard, Red Hill, and Indian Springs mines:
Colifornio Min. Bur. Rept. 11, pp. 158-159.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Butte County, drift mines: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 15, pp. 198-209.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Mammoth

Locatioji. The Mammoth or Lake district is in
southwestern Mono County about 50 miles south of
Bridgeport. The district is on the east flank of the
Sierra Nevada Mountains and is just east of Mammoth
Lakes, a well-known resort area. The Devil's Postpile
National Monument is about 10 miles to the west.

History. Gold and silver-bearing veins were dis-
covered here in 1878, and a short-lived "rush"
followed. Much of the production at that time was
from the Mammoth mine, which yielded $200,000 in
1878-81. The district was organized in 1887. Several
thousand people were in the area then, the principal
settlements having been Mammoth City, Mill City, and
Pine City. Some mining was done in the late 1890s,
early 1960s, and again in the 1930s. The Beauregard
mine was active from 1954 to 1958, and there has been
minor prospecting and development work since. The
value of the total production of the district is estimated
at $1 million.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain chiefly by northwest-trending beds of metamor-
phosed latite. Present in smaller amounts are schist,
hornfels, marble, tactite, and quartzite. Granitic rocks
are to the east and south. The ore deposits occur in a
northwest-trending zone of alteration in the meta-
morphosed latite. This zone, IVi miles long and Vi
mile wide, contains disseminated pyrite. The pyrite
has been oxidized so that the zone is stained a bright
reddish brown.

The ore deposits consist of northwest-striking and
steeply-dipping quartz veins and stringers that contain
free gold, auriferous pyrite, pyrrhotite, and smaller
amounts of other sulfides. Silver commonly is abun-
dant. Milling-grade ore usually averages 'X to Vi ounce
of gold per ton. The veins range from a few to several
tens of feet in thickness.

Mines. Argosy, Beauregard, Don Quixote, Lisbon,
Mammoth $200,000, Mammoth Consolidated $100,000,
Monte Cristo $100,000, Sierra Group.

Bibliography

DeGroot, Henry, 1890, Lake mining district: California Mining Bur.
Rept. 10, pp. 340-342.

Mayo, E. B., 1934, Geology and mineral deposits of Laurel and
Convict basins, southwestern Mono County; California Div. Mines Rept.
30, pp. 79-87.

Rinehart, C. D., and Ross, D. C, 1964, Geology and mineral deposits
of the Mount Morrison quadrangle, Sierra Nevada, California: U. S.
Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 385, pp. 97-100.

Sampson, R. J., ond Tucker, W. B., 1940, Mineral resources of Mono
County, gold: California Div. Mines Rept. 36, pp. 120-140.

Whiting, H. A., 1888, Lake mining district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 373-375.

Mariposa

Location and History. This district is in the vicin-
ity of the town of Mariposa at the southeast end of
the Mother Lode gold belt. The Mariposa mine was
reported to have been discovered in 1849 by Kit
Carson, and the first stamp mill in California was in-
stalled there that same year. Much of this district was
part of the Las Mariposas Grant of General John C.
Fremont. The old courthouse in Mariposa erected in

1854 is the oldest continuously used courthouse in
California. The mines were worked until the early
1900s and again during the 1930s. The Mariposa mine
has been prospected in recent years.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain by northwest-trending belts of slate of the Mari-
posa Formation (Upper Jurassic), serpentine, and
greenstone. There are several massive quartz veins in
slate or greenstone. The ore contains free gold, pyrite,
and arsenopyrite, which often is associated with high-
grade ore. The Mariposa mine has been developed to
an inclined depth of 1500 feet.

Mines. Evans II, Kane, Mariposa $2,395,000,
Stockton Creek, Stockton Creek Tunnel.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., 1957, Mariposa County, Mariposa mine: California
Jour. Mines ond Geology, vol. 53, pp. 128-130.

Logon, C. A., 1935, Mother Lode gold belt — Mariposa County: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines Bull. 108, pp. 180-190.

Ronsome, F. L., 1900, Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1900, The Mariposa mine: Colifornio Min. Bur. Bull. 18,
pp. 142-143.

Meadow Lake

Location. This is a small lode-gold district in east-
em Nevada County just southwest of Meadow Lake
and approximately seven miles northeast of Cisco.
Gold was discovered here in 1863, and there was a
"rush" to the area that lasted from 1865 to 1870. Minor
prospecting was done afterward until the early 1900s
and again during the 1920s and 1930s. The total out-
put of the district has been estimated to be valued
at $200,000.

Geology. The region is underlain chiefly by gran-
odiorite with minor amounts of greenstone. There are
a number of narrow quartz veins, which, in places,
contain free gold and abundant sulfides. A number of
high-grade pockets were encountered near the surface
during the early days, but at depth the deposits pinch
out or become very low in grade.

Mines. Baltimore group. Excelsior, Great Western,
Hercules, Mammoth, New Hope, Of What, Philadel-
phia group.

Bibliography

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Meodow Lake district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, p. 454.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1897, Truckee folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 39, 8 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1900, Colfox folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Logan, C. A., 1924, Nevada County, Meadow Lake district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 20, pp. 355-362.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevada County, Meadow Lake mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 33-37.

Wisker, A. L., 1936, The gold-bearing veins of Meadow Lake district:
California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 189-204.

Meadow Valley

Location. This district is in west-central Plumas
County about eight miles west of Quincy. It includes
the Edmanton, Buck's Lake, Spanish Peak and Spanish
Ranch areas. The Quincy district lies just to the east

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 45. Hydroulic Mir
This is a view of hydraulic

ng in the 1860s, Michigan Bor District,
lining and ground sluicing in Sacramento

County 100 yeors ago. The locomotive headlights at right made night-
time floodlights. Photo covriesy of Co/if. State Library.

and the Granite Basin district to the southwest. The
district was mined from the gold rush days through
the early 1900s and has been prospected since.

Geology. The east portion of the district is under-
lain by quartzite, slate, schist, limestone, amphibolite,
and serpentine. Meadow Valley is covered by Pleis-
tocene lake beds. Granite lies to the west. There are
a number of scattered patches of auriferous Tertiary
gravel, in the vicinity of and northwest of Spanish
Ranch, which were mined by hydraulicldng and drift-
ing. The Pleistocene lake gravels also yielded some
gold. The only source of lode gold was the Diadem
mine.

Bibliography

lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 98-99.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1920, Plumas County, Edmonton and Spanish Ranch
mining distrids: Colifornio Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 8-12 ond 46-49.

Turner, H. W., 1898, Bidwell Bar folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

Michigan Bar

Location and History. This is a placer-mining
district in eastern Sacramento County in the vicinity
of the old town of Michigan Bar. It extends to the
west and south and includes the Sloughhouse area.
Included are dredging fields in and near the Cosumnes
River. The district was hydraulicked extensively in
the 1850s and 1860s. Later it was worked by small-
scale methods by many Chinese miners. The Co-
sumnes River and some of the older bench gravels
were dredged in the 1930s and early 1940s. Also some
drift mining was done. Fire clay is mined here now.
The total gold production is unknown, but it has been
estimated to be at least 1,700,000 ounces.

Geology. Eocene gravels interbedded with several
layers of clay and thin sands are distributed over the
eastern part of the district in the vicinity of Michigan
Bar. The gravels are coarse, well rounded, have a sandy
matrix, and usually are not too well-cemented. The
dredged area is several miles long.

Bibliography

Carlson, D. W., 1955, Socromento County, gold dredging: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 51, pp. 135-142.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1894, Sacramento folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 5, 3 pp.

Piper, A. M., Gale, H. S., Thomas, H. E., ond Robinson, T. W., 1939,
Geology and ground-woter hydrology of the Mokelumne area: U. S.
Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 780.

Michigan Bluff

Location. The Michigan Bluff district is in south-
central Placer County. It is best known as a placer-
mining district, and includes the Turkey Hill, Byrd's
Valley, and Baker Ranch areas. The Damascus district
is to the north and the Forest Hill district is to the
west.

History. The town, first settled in 1850, was origi-
nally known as Michigan City. In 1858 the land began
to slide into the river, so the town was moved higher
up on the mountain side and became Michigan Bluff.
Hydraulic mining began here in 1853, and the district
soon became highly productive. During the middle
and late 1850s, the gold output averaged $100,000 per
month. Leland Stanford, Governor of California and
one of the builders of the Central Pacific Railroad,
operated a store here from 1853 to 1855. His old home
still stands. Activity in the area declined during the
1870s, but some work continued intermittently
through the early 1900s and again in the 1930s. Much
of the region was devastated by fire in 1960.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Geology. This district is at the junction of two
major Tertiary channels, one that comes in from the
north from the Damascus district and the other comes
in from the southeast from Ralston Divide. Just to the
north at Baker Ranch there is an intervolcanic channel.
The lovt'er gravels at Michigan Bluff are nearly pure
quartz with many large boulders. The gravels were
extremely rich, the gold yield from six million yards
reportedly having been $5 million. Much of the gold
was coarse. Bedrock is slate and schist, and to the west
there is serpentine. Some narrow gold-quartz veins are
present.

Mines. Placer: Adams, Anna Sue, Baker Ranch,
Beehive, Big Gun (Michigan Bluff) $1 million-f,
Bowen, Bower, Britt, Buckeye, Burnham, Burns, Bur-
roughs, Drummond, Eastman, El Dorado Hill, Frank-
lin, Golden Chief, Golden Gate, Gorman, Hazard,
Hoffman, Imperial, Lightfoot, Manhattan, Mary Anna,
Rainbow Land, Russel, Sage Hill, Turkey Hill, Wash-
burn, Washington, Weeks, Weske. Lode: Bunker Hill
and Nihill, Champion, Daniel Webster.

Bibliography

Jarman, Arthur, 1927, Michigan BlufF: California Min. Bur. Rept. 23,
p. 90.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1900, Colfax folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlos of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierro Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 152.

logon, C. A., 1936, Gold Mines of Placer County, Michigan BlufF
district: California Div. Mines Rept. 32, p. 70.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Placer County, Michigan Bluff district: Californio
Min. Bur. Rept. 15, p. 318.

Mill Creek

Location. This is a small district in southeastern
Fresno County in the vicinity of the town of Dunlap
about 40 miles east of Fresno. Superficial placer mining
was done in Mill Creek and other streams during the
early days. Small-scale lode mining was done from
the 1880s through the 1900s, but little or nothing has
been done since.

Geology. The area is underlain by granodiorite
and related rocks with narrow slate belts. Some lime-
stone lenses and schist are present. A few shallow
north-trending veins a few feet thick contain free gold
and varying amounts of sulfides. The veins usually are
at or near granite-schist contacts. Most of the output
has come from the Dixie Queen and White Cross
mines.

Bibliography

Bradley, Walter W., 1916, Fresno County, M. and M. Mining Com-
pany: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 447.

Irelan, Wm., Jr., 1888, Mill Creek district: California Min. Bur. Rept.
8, pp. 207-208.

Mineral King

Mineral King is in central Tulare County in the high
Sierra Nevada, about 37 miles east of Lemon Cove
near Sequoia National Park. It is a small mining district
that has yielded minor amounts of gold, silver, copper,
lead, and zinc. Gold- and silver-bearing ore was dis-
covered here in August 1873, and a "rush" to the area
was on during the following year or two. However,
little mining has been done in the district since, and it

is now a well-known resort area. The Mineral King
deposits occur in a belt of contact metamorphism in
calcareous slate, impure limestone, and granodiorite.
The ore is complex and consists of quartz and epidote
rock containing pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena,
arsenopyrite and, in places, gold and silver.

Bibliography

Tucker, W. B., 1919, Tulare County, Mineral King mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 947-954.

U. S. Geological Survey Mineral Resources of the United States
1883-84, p. 642.

Mokelumne Hill

Location. Mokelumne Hill is in northwestern Cala-
veras County. It is both a placer- and lode-mining dis-
trict and includes the Chili Gulch, Old Woman's
Gulch, and Golden Gate Hill areas.

History. The streams in the area were placer-mined
early in the gold rush. Mokelumne Hill, first known
as Big Bar, developed as a mining camp in 1848. Chili
Gulch was first known as Chilean Gulch, from the
large number of Chilean miners who worked here.
They were discriminated against and often were forced
to leave the mining regions. There was also a number
of French miners in the district who had disputes with
the Americans. Later in the 1870s Chinese miners were
active in this district in great numbers.

Large amounts of gold were recovered by hydrau-
licking and drifting, but output declined in the 1870s.
The Quaker City, Boston, and other lode mines
yielded substantial amounts of gold from the 1880s
until about 1900. Mining was done in the district again
in the 1930s, and there has been intermittent prospect-
ing since. The gravels at Chili Gulch are now mined
for aggregate. Many of the buildings in the old town
of Mokelumne Hill are well preserved.

Geology and Ore Deposits. A complex system of
Tertiary channels, extending south and southwest
from Mokelumne Hill, included eight distinct channels
and remnants of several others, which range from
Eocene to Pliocene in age. The so-called Chili Gulch,
Stockton Hill, and Deep Blue channels have been the
most productive. These contain a high percentage of
quartz pebbles and boulders. In places they also con-
tain large clear quartz crystals, some of which are
piezo-electric grade. Usually the channels are not more
than a few hundred feet wide. Bedrock consists of
slate, greenstone, and graphite schist.

The gold-quartz veins occur in the slate and green-
stone and are up to 50 feet thick. The gold occurs
in the native state and is associated with small amounts
of pyrite. Several dacite volcanic domes crop out in
the district, and to the northeast a granodiorite stock
is exposed.

Mines. Placer: America, Chappellet, Concentrator,
Coffee Mill, Duryea, French Hill, Gopher, Green
Mountain, Happy Valley, Hexter, Mosher, Neilsen,
North Star, South Diamond, What Cheer, Werle.
Lode: Boston $1 million. Easy Bird $300,000?,
Hamby, Lamphear $122,000, Nuner, Quaker City
$1 million-)-.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

«3|

*.Ji

i-m^ ''•*>■ — . * _

!|^^i'i|^^'

Photo 46. Town of Monitor

the 1870s. This westward view shows the main street of Monitor, Alpine County,
Monitor Pass highway. Pfiofo courtesy of Calif. Slate Library.

now traversed by the

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Caloveras County, gold:
California Division Mines and Geology County Rept. 2, pp. 32-93.

Haley, C. S., 1923, Gold placers of California: Colifornio Min. Bur.
Bull. 92, pp. 147-148.

Knopf, A., 1929, The Mother lode system of California: U. S. Geo!.
Survey Prof. Paper 157, 88 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada;
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 205-209.

Logon, C. A., and Fronke, H., 1936, Calaveras County, placer mines:
California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 324-355.

Ransome, F. L, 1900, Mother lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1894, Ancient channel system of Calaveras County:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 12, pp. 482-492.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas
of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Monitor-Mogul

Location and History. Monitor and Mogul are in
central Alpine County about six miles southeast of
Markieeville. Mogul is in the north end, and Monitor
is in the south end of the district.

The region was intensely prospected during the late
1850s and early 1860s. Substantial amounts of gold,
silver, and copper were produced from such mines
as the Alpine, Colorado, Curtz, and Morning Star. Op-
erators had much difficulty in milling the sulfide-rich
or "rebellious" ores, and shipped some ore all the way
to Swansea, Wales, for treatment. Monitor, named for
the famous iron clad warship of the Civil War, also
was known as Loope.

Operations declined in the 1880s, but there was
some mining activity in the early 1900s and 1930s.
The Zaca mine was w orked on a moderate scale dur-
ing the 1960s. The value of the total gold and silver

production is unknown, but some estimates have
placed it between $3 million and $5 million.

Geology. The district is underlain by volcanic
rocks of Tertiary age. Andesitic tuff breccia is most
common, but also present are various tj'pes of flow
rocks including obsidian. In places, particularly at
Colorado Hill, which is in the middle of the district,
the volcanic rocks have been intensely altered and si-
licified. These altered rocks have a bleached appear-
ance, in places stained yellow, red, and brown by iron
oxide. These bleached zones stand out prominently
from the unaltered rock.

Ore Deposits. The ore deposits occur in the zones
of alteration and silicification. The gold, silver, and
copper are nearly always associated with various sul-
fide minerals, which include pyrite, chalcopyrite, enar-
gite, sphalerite, galena, argentite, and arsenopyrite. A
number of other ore minerals also are present. The ore
occurs in disseminated form, in veins and seams, and
occasionally in tabular sulfide masses. In places high-
grade pockets have been found.

Mines. Alpine, Curtz, Georgiana, Globe, Lincoln,
Morning Star, Orion, Red Gap, Silver Hill. Zaca
mines: Advance, Colorado, Tarshish.

Bibliography

Eokle, A. S., 1919, Alpine County, Mogul and Monitor districts:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 8-25.

Evans, J. R., et a/., 1966, Guidebook along the east-centrol front of
the Sierra Nevodo-Zaca mine: Geol. Society Sacramento annual field
trip, June 18 and 19, 1966.

Logon, C. A., 1921, Alpine County, copper: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 17, pp. 402-404.

logon, C. A., 1923, Alpine County mines: California Min. Bur. Rept.
18, pp. 358-361.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Moore's Flat

Location. The Moore's Flat district is in north-
central Nevada County about 15 miles northeast of
Nevada Gty. It is both a lode and placer district and
includes the "diggings" at Moore's Flat, Oreleans Flat,
Woolsey Flat, Snow Point, and Snow Tent. The Alle-
ghany district adjoins the Moore's Flat district on the
northeast. Moore's Flat was named for H. M. Moore
who built a store there in 1851.

Geology. A number of gravel deposits were ac-
cumulated in a west-southwest-trending Tertiary
channel of the Yuba River that continues west and
southwest into the North Bloomfield district. At
Moore's Flat, Lindgren (1911, p. 141) estimated, 26
million cubic yards were removed and 15 million re-
mained. The gravels are quartz-rich and in places
more than 100 feet thick. Hydraulic mining here dur-
ing the 1880s had reported gold recoveries of 11 to
15 cents per yard. The gravels are capped by andesite
on the south side of the district. Bedrock consists of
amphibolite, slate, and serpentine. The gold-quartz
veins usually are narrow and contain small but often
rich pockets.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, p. 141.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Colfax folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Mooreville Ridge

Mooreville Ridge is in southwest Plumas and south-
east Butte Counties. It includes the Camel Peak and
American House areas. A number of Tertiary channel
gravel deposits in the area have been mined largely
by hydrauHcking. The South Fork of the Feather
River, which flows through the district, was mined
also in the early days and skin divers are active in the
area now. Bedrock in the district is granite, slate, ser-
pentine, and amphibolite. The ridges are capped by
Tertiary andesite and basalt. A few gold-quartz veins
occur in the district.

Mines. Butte County: Dodson hydraulic. Golden
Trant, Ludlam hydraulic, Walters. Plumas County:
American House hydraulic. Browns Hill, Davis Point
hydraulic, Fall River, Sanborn, Walters.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 99-100.

Turner, H. W., 1898, Bidwell Bar folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

Mormon Bar

Mormon Bar is in south-central Mariposa County
about three miles south of the town of Mariposa.
The area was placer-mined during the 1850s and 1860s,
and, by 1870, the easily worked placers were largely
exhausted. The area was mined again in the 1930s by
dragline dredges, and there has been minor prospect-
ing since. The total gold production for the district
is estimated at 75,000 ounces. The deposits are in and

adjacent to Mariposa Creek. The average depth of the
mined gravels was about six feet.

Morris Ravine

Location. This district is at the south side of Oro-
ville Table Mountain three miles north of Oroville.
It includes the Monte de Oro area. It is both a lode-
and placer-mining district. Morris Ravine and other
nearby ravines were first placer-mined during the gold
rush. Drift and lode mining began soon afterward and
continued until around World War I. There was some
work again during the 1930s. The Morris Ravine mine
has been intermittently worked in recent years.

Geology. The bedrock in the district consists of
amphibolite with smaller amounts of slate and phyllite.
The slate contains fossil ferns. The bedrock is over-
lain by sedimentary and volcanic rocks of Oroville
Table Mountain, a mesa-like hill consisting of thick
beds of sands, tuffs, clays and auriferous channel
gravels capped by black basalt. Fossil leaves also have
been found in the clays.

Ore Deposits. The channel gravels are quartz-rich,
well-cemented, and interbedded with sands and clays.
The gold ranges from fine to coarse. A few small dia-
monds have been recovered here. The veins usually
are narrow but the Banner vein has been mined to a
depth of 1000 feet. The ore bodies are large but low
in grade (^o ounce of gold/ton). Small rich pockets
were mined also. Sulfides are spotty but often rich.

Mines. Placer: Alonte de Oro, Morris Ravine,
Perkins and Goodall, Yuba. Lode: Banner $1 million.
Bumble Bee $100,000-1-.

Bibliography

Creely, R. S., 1965, Geology of the Oroville Quadrangle: California
Div. Mines and Geology Bull. 184, 86 pp.

lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 86-89.

Logan, C. A., 1930, Butte County, Banner mine: California Div. Mines
Rept. 26, pp. 369-370.

O'Brien, J. C, 1949, Butte County, gold: California Jour. Mines and
Geology, vol. 45, pp. 426—433.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Butte County, gold-quartz mines: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 211-224.

Mountain Meadows

Mountain Meadows is in southwestern Lassen
County a few miles southeast of West\vood and eight
miles north of Greenville. Years ago placer gold was
recovered from Tertiary gravels in the southeast end
of the valley. These deposits are on the northwest end
of a Tertiary channel known as the Jura channel,
which extends southeast to the Taylorsville and Gen-
essee districts. Bedrock consists of greenstone and
amphibolite.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary channels of the Sierro Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, 116.

Mountain Ranch

Location. This is a small district in central Cala-
veras County in the vicinity of the town of Mountain
Ranch. It includes the Cave Qty area.

Caufornia Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 47. Princeton Mine, Mount Bullion District. This photo of this highly productive Mariposo County

Phofo courttsy of CalH. State Library.

ne was token probobly around 1900.

Geology. The district is largely underlain by
graphite schist, quartzite, limestone, and thin bodies
of talcose schist. Patches of Tertiary auriferous gravels
overlie the bedrock. A few narrow gold-quartz veins,
in schist, contain small but sometimes rich ore shoots.
The ore contains free gold and abundant sulfides, espe-
cially galena.

Mines. Lode: Gaston Hill. Placer: Cotton Flat,
Foley, Hidden Cave, Humboldt, Mountain Ranch,
Rose Hill.

Bibliography

Clark, Lorin, 1954, Geology and mineral deposits of the Calaveritas
quadrangle: California Div. Mines Spec. Rept. 40, 23 pp.

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, gold: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines ond Geology County Rept. 2, pp. 32-93.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas
of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Mount Bullion

Location. The Mount Bullion district is in west-
central Mariposa County about seven miles northwest
of Mariposa. The district is in the southern end of the
Mother Lode gold belt and extends northwest towards
Bagby and Bear Valley (fig. 18). It includes the Agua
Fria and Mount Ophir areas.

History. This region was first placer-mined in
1848, many of the miners having been of Spanish de-
scent. Agua Fria Creek and other streams were highly
productive (Agua fria means cold water in Spanish).
Lode gold-mining began shortly afterward. Much of
this district is in the Las Mariposa land grant, which
originally belonged to General John C. Fremont. The
mines in this grant were not located and surveyed in
the same fashion as those on public lands, and to this
day the land plats within this grant are difficult to co-
ordinate with established survey lines. The grant later
underwent lengthy litigation, and Fremont eventually

went bankrupt. He named nearby Mount Bullion for
his father-in-law. Senator Thomas Hart Benton, who
was sometimes known as "Old Bullion".

At Mount Ophir, which is now a ghost town, are
the ruins of an early-day mint. From 1849 until 1854
private coinage subject to federal inspection was au-
thorized in California. It is believed that some of the
now extremely rare and valuable octagonal fifty-dollar
gold slugs were minted here from locally mined gold.

Gold mining in the district continued fairly steadily
from the 1850s through the 1870s. There was con-
siderable activity from around 1900 to 1920 when the
Princeton and other mines were worked. Some mining
was done in the 1930s and early 1940s, and there have
been a few intermittent small-scale operations since.

Geology. As shown in figure 18, the gold mineral-
ization is confined chiefly to a northwest-trending belt
of slate, phyllite, and metasandstone of the Mariposa
Formation (Upper Jurassic). Within this formation are
two belts of pyrite-bearing metarhyolite that may have
possible future economic significance. Greenstone of
the Pefion Blanco Formation (Upper Jurassic) crops
out to the east and west. Also present are thin bands
of serpentine and numerous aplite dikes.

Ore Deposits. Several north-northwest-striking sys-
tems of quartz veins occur principally in slate. The
veins usually range from four to 10 feet in thickness,
although there are some massive ones that are consid-
erably thicker. The ore contains free gold and pyrite,
which is abundant in places. MilUng ore yielded from
'X to Yz ounce of gold per ton, and considerable high-
grade ore was recovered close to the surface. Some of
the ore shoots were extensive; several in the Prince-
ton mine had stoping lengths of more than 500 feet.
The greatest depth of development is 1 600 feet on the
incline.

A number of extensive vein systems have not been
thoroughly explored. Also, there are several extensive

1970

deposits of pyritic metarhyolite in the Mariposa For-
mation that in places contain gold. These bodies are
several miles long and 60 or more feet thick.

Mines. Greens Gulch $119,000+, King Midas,
Louis, Mt. Ophir 5250,000 to $300,000, Mountain
View I, Nellie Kahoe, Ortega, Princeton 1 5 million.
Sorrel.

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Bibliography.

Bowen, O. E., 1957, Mariposa County, Mount Ophir and Princeton
mines: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 53, pp. 139-140 and
155-158.

Costello, W. O., 1921, Moriposa County, Mt. Bullion-Beor Volley
district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 17, p. 98.

Knopf, Adolph, 1929, The Mother Lode belt of California, Princeton
mine: U. S. Geo!. Survey Prof. Paper 157, pp. 84-85.

.cu-o/ve^

\;'u\\^Jf,

-__'v-/9Q_JUNIPER

^BUFFALO

NV'C'oLoRADO '
>X,^ NQ^^ MOCKINGBIRD ;-,' ^l"--,^'-' ^T^;^-;^

'^, ;;^-permit;^^

.^..

UNT vV^u ':;(-', ii-'i' 'Tf-:^r\V 7''--'-''v' 7v

.LION 7 NJ.''~ ■~v'/^i^■^ 1 -' t'l-'^'X' '"'^ '''<r 'i - 'S, "\y ^^^=^ «■«'■.»

r '-'^;i,',i',^5^/v7n-^'»-i;:; -',/*>k.\V-\ " « ' '

BULLION \-- i' 'Ck-K.--^' ' ~ ':'-/.] i^ '-^ '■^^'V' ' -

!JpRINCETON

\7 '' ' l' '/ ^' -/ -^■-' V ' ^ v'/- ' ''<"-' '

l^MARIPOSA'

EXPLANATION

Slate, phyllife, and metasondstone
(Mariposa Formotion)

^ Metarhyolite; auriferous in port
^ (Mariposa Formotion)

Greenstone (Pefion Blonco Formation)

a o

■/^Tv.yc^N Serpentine and gabbro
Granitic rocl(S

^>-\\\^ Quartz veins
a. _] I ^ M I

0. IT L^

"' A Lode gold mine

V Fault
Figure 18. Geologic Map of Bagby, Maripoja, Mount Bullion and Whitlock Districts, Mariposa County. By O. E. Bowen and J. R. Evoni, 196<.

Californu Division of Mines and Geology

Ball. 193

Photo 48 Champion Mine, Nevada City District. This 1893 view of the Nevada County mine looks east.

Logan, C. A., 1935, Mother Lode belt, Mariposa County: California
Div. Mines Bull. 108, pp. 180-190.

Ronsome, F. L., 190io. Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1900, The Princeton mine: California Min. Bur. Bull.
18, p. 143.

Murphys

Location. The Murphys district is in south-central
Calaveras County about seven miles northeast of An-
gels Camp. It extends west to include the Esmeralda
and Fricot Ranch areas.

History. The streams were first mined during the
gold rush. Murphys was established in 1848 or 1849
and named for John M. Murphy, a member of Captain
Weber's Stockton Mining Company. Lode mining
probably began shortly afterward and continued al-
most steadily until around World War I. Some of the
mines have been prospected in recent years. The old
town of Murphys, one of the best-preserved mining
towns in the Sierra Nevada, is a popular tourist at-
traction.

Geology. The eastern part of the district is under-
lain by graphite schist, slate, and a large limestone lens
of the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to Per-
mian). The western part is underlain by slate, schist,
green schist and numerous lenses of talcose rock de-
rived from serpentine. A number of patches of aurif-
erous Tertiary gravels overlie the bedrock.

Ore Deposits. Quartz, occurring in a great many
west-trending veins — mostly in schist and slate — is
glassy and white, rose, or occasionally black. Rose-
colored quartz is characteristic of this district. The
ore bodies usually arc small and shallow, but often they
are rich. The ore contains free gold and often abundant
sulfides. Although there are no large mines, the district
was quite productive because of the large number of

Mines. Basco, Beatrice, Bence $200,000, Bonehard,
Buckeye, Buckhorn, Crown Point, Cowbell, Dora
Cons., Dragone, Economic, Esmeralda $300,000, Eu-
reka, Fairplay, Falcon, Fricot Group, Great Divide,
Gumboot, Hidden Treasure, K and J, Last Chance,
Alalteson, Manhatten, Miralda, Oro y Plata, Piety Hill,
Rocky Bar, Total Wreck.

Bibliography .

Clark, L. D., 1954, Geology and mineral deposits of the Caloveritos
quadrangle: California Div. Mines Spec. Rept. 40, 23 pp.

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, gold: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines and Geology County Report 2, pp. 32-93.

Logan, C. A., 1936, Calaveras County, gold quartz mines: California
Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 235-323.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jockson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas
of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Calaveras County, gold quartz mines: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 66-114.

Turner, H. W., and Ransome, F. L, 1898, Big Trees folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 51, 8 pp.

Nashville

Location and History. The Nashville district is in
southwestern El Dorado County about 1 5 miles south
of Placerville. It is in the Mother Lode gold belt. The
area was mined during the gold rush when considerable
quantities of high-grade ore were taken from near the
surface. Originally known as Quartzburg, the town
of Nashville was renamed by miners who came from
Tennessee. Activity was considerable here during the
1930s, when the Montezuma-Apex and Nashville mines
were worked. There has been minor prospecting since.

Geology. A north-trending belt of gray to black
slate of the Mariposa Formation (Upper Jurassic) is
in the central portion of the district. Massive green-
stone is to the west, and schist, amphibolite, quartzite,
and granitic rocks are to the east.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Ore Deposits. Several long north-striking massive
quartz veins in the slate are up to 25 feet thick. These
veins contain large but low- to moderate-grade ore
bodies (1/7 to 1/4 ounce of gold per ton). Stoping
lengths were up to 500 feet, and the veins were mined
to inclined depths of 2000 feet. The ore contains free
gold and pynte. Considerable fault gouge is present.
The veins in greenstone to the west and amphibolite
and schist to the east are usually only a few feet wide,
but they have yielded appreciable amounts of high-
grade ore.

Mines. Bonanza, Briarcliff $120,000, Balmaceda,
Last Chance, Manhattan, Monarch-Sugar Loaf $100,-
000, Montezuma-Apex $1 million, Nashville $2 million.

Bibliography.

Clark, W. B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, lode
gold mines: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 52, pp. 401-429.

Fairbanks, H. W., 1890, Geology of the Mother lode region: Colifor-
nio Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 80-81.

Lindgren, Woldemar, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio:
U. S. Geological Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 4 pp.

Logon, C. A., 1935, Montezuma
30-34.

California Div. Mines Bull. 108,

Nevada City

Location. The Nevada Qty district is in western
Nevada County. The district covers an extensive area,
from the vicinity of Indian Flat east through Nevada
City, northeast to Willow Valley and southeast
through Canada Hill and Banner Hill to the vicinity of
the Lava Cap mine. It is both a lode- and placer-mining
district and once was an important center of gold min-
ing in California.

History. Gold was first mined in this district in
Deer Creek, which, in 1849, was called Deer Creek
Diggings. The name Nevada was adopted in May
1850 at a public meeting. The placers were rich, and
the town grew fast. Hydraulic mining was first prac-
ticed in California at American Hill here in 1852, by
E. G. Matteson (hydraulicking was also done that same
year at Yankee Jims in Placer County). Hydraulic
mining flourished until around 1880. Drift mining
began in the 1850s, and the drift mines were continu-
ously active until around 1900. Gold-quartz was dis-
covered in 1850, when the Gold Tunnel vein was
found. However, important production of lode gold
did not commence until the early 1860s because of dif-
ficulties in milling the ore. By 1865, the output from
lode-gold mining was averaging $500,000 per year
and later ranged from $300,000 to $600,000. The Cham-
pion and Providence mines were the major producers
during these years. Later these two mines were in liti-
gation, and in 1902 the Champion owners bought the
Providence. Large-scale lode-gold mining was resumed
in the district again during the 1930s when the Lava
Cap and Banner mines were operating. From 1933 to
1942, the Lava Cap yielded $12 million. There has been
only minor activity since 1942. The old town of
Nevada City, the county seat, is now a popular tourist
center with numerous well-preserved old buildings.
The Nevada County Narrow Gauge railroad served
the area from 1877 to 1942. The total output of the
district is unknown, but it is estimated by the author
at more than $50 million and may have exceeded $70
million.

Photo 49. Lava Cap Mine, Nevada City District. This is a recent photo of a mine in Nevada County that yielded $12 million in gold in 1933-^2.

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull 193

_-9^—

5^:

^'y/A'-

«"«"«".",","." VALLrSON'*/////'\''//v'v'y'',',''v'v''»'«'v'»'v\\|| ,"",'' ,^
."«"«"« "«"«'/|>fNEVINS/'>/ ///'•'east!" /,»,»//'», »,»/,»,>,',', »,»,»,»,»,

;yN

'MANZANITA « « « . «",",",",",',",", V ^ VALLEY

"."l/'" ""r'\""''-"""""-''»''»"J"»'' OV""" « " X " J,,oru^n !■»" .'%. BELLEFONTAINE V'^^^ •'^^^^

r . f ."."[".r.NEyADA »^«^x jx^xj/". x x . ".""5"'^-?^ 4^ . ..... .*r\r7".".v

V<-.".'.

EXPLANATION

'"*''/v\''

Andesite and rhyolite

XXX

Gronitic rocks

Serpentine

Greenstone and amphibolite

'wm,

Slate, schist, end quartzite

^^^^ Gold beoring vein
A Lode mine

X Plocer mine

Figure 19. Geologic Map of Nevada City Diifrlct, Nevada County. The map show, vein syilemi and the principal mines. After Hobson, »890, ond

lindgrtn, 1896a.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Photo 50. Providence Mine, Nevada City District. This 1893 view of the mine, in Nevada County, looks southeast. The Champion mine is at

left. Deer Creek in the foreground.

Geology. The central portion of the district is
underlain by granitic rocks, chiefly granodiorite (fig.
19). Adjacent are beds of slate, mica schist, and quartz-
ite, most of which are part of the Calaveras Forma-
tion (Carboniferous to Permian). To the west and
southwest are fairly extensive beds of massive green-
stone, amphibolite, and serpentine. There are a number
of fine- to medium-grained dioritic and aplitic dikes,
some of which are associated with the gold-quartz
veins. In places these rocks are overlain by Tertiary
channel gravels capped by rhyolite and andesite.

Ore Deposits. Several major gold-quartz vein sys-
tems traverse the district. In the west portion one sys-
tem extends northwest along a granodiorite-metasedi-
mentary rock contact. In the southern and eastern
portion of the district the veins strike nearly west and
dip either north or south. There are also a few north-
east-striking and southeast-dipping veins. The veins
usually are one to four feet thick, but in places a few
are as much as 1 5 feet thick. The ore contains varying
amounts of free gold, often abundant pyrite and
smaller amounts of other sulfides. Some of the ore
bodies are extensive; the ore body at the Providence
mine persisted to an inclined depth of more than 2700
feet. Considerable high-grade ore has been recovered
in the district.

Several important Tertiary channels were sources of
ore-bearing gravels. One, the Harmony channel, which
enters the district from the northeast, was extensively
mined by drifting. The pay gravel in this channel was
150 to 200 feet wide, two to four feet deep, quartziric,
often sub-angular and well-cemented. These pay
streaks yielded $1.55 to $2.50 in gold to the ton, at the
old price. The Manzanita channel, which yielded $3
million, is just to the west. Northwest of town is the

northwest-trending Cement Hill channel. In the south-
em part of the district is the Town Talk channel,
which was narrow but rich in places. Much of the
placer gold taken from the channel deposits in this
district was coarse.

Mines. Lode: Alaska, Alice BeUe, Alpine, Bagley,
Banner $1 million+, Belle Fontaine, Buckeye, Cale-
donia, California Cons. $1 million, Canada Hill $1.13
million. Carter, Central South Yuba, Champion $3 mil-
lion, Coan, Deadwood $300,000, Enterprise, Federal
Loan $200,000, Fortune, Franklin, Glencoe, Gold Flat,
Gold Metal, Gold Tunnel $300,000, Gracie, Hoge
$600,000, Kirkham, Lava Cap $12 million, Le Comp-
ton, Massachusetts, Mayflower, Merrifield, Merrimac,
Montana, Mohigan, Mountaineer $2 million to $3 mil-
lion, Mt. Auburn, Murchie, National, Neversweat,
Nevada City, Oustomah, Phoenix $200,000, Pittsburgh
$1 million-|-, Sneath and Clay $180,000, Soggs, Spanish,
St. Louis, Texas, Union, Willow Valley $130,000,
Wyoming. Drift: Allison, Cold Springs, Coleman,
Dean, East Harmony, Fountain Head, Grover, Hughes,
Kansas, Knickerbacker, Live Oak, Manzanita, Ne-
braska, Nevins, Odin, Pennsylvania, Phoenix, West
Harmony, Yosemite. Hydraulic: American Hill, Buck-
eye Hill, Canada Hill, Hirschmann.

Bibliography

chandler, J. W., 1941, Mining methods and costs of the Lava Cap
Gold Mining Corporation, Nevada City: Calif. Div. Mines Kept. 37,
pp. 409-425.

Crawford, J. J., 1896, Champion, Harmony, Mayflower, and Provi-
dence mines: Calif. Min. Bur. Rept. 13, pp. 239, 247-248, 252-253,
and 260.

Hobson, J. B., 1890, Nevada City district: Calif. Min. Bur. Rept. 10,
pp. 384-389.

Hobson, J. B., and Wiltsee, E. M., 1893: Nevada City mining district:
Calif. Min. Bur. Rept. 11, pp. 285-296.

100

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

1970

Gold Districts — Sierr.\ Nevada

101

Irelan, Williom, Jr., 1888, Nevada City district: Calif. Min. Bur.
Repf. 8, pp. 418-425.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1895, Smortsville folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

lindgren, Woldemor, 1896, Nevada City special folio, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 29, 7 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1896, Gold-quartz veins of the Nevada City
and Grass Valley districts: U. S. Geol. Survey Ann. Rept. 17, pt. 2,
pp. 1-262.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, The Tertiary gravels of the Sierro Ne-
vada: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 125-132.

Logon, C. A., 1930, Nevada County, Geology of Gross Volley ond
Nevada City districts: Calif. Div. Mines Rept. 26, pp. 97-99.

Logan, C. A., 1941, Mineral resources of Nevada County: Calif. Jour.
Mines and Geology, vol. 37, pp. 380-431.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevada County, Nevada City district: Calif.
Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 37-44.

Newtown

Location. Newtown is in central El Dorado
County 10 miles east of Placerville. It was originally
known as Dogtown. Chiefly a placer-mining district,
it includes the Camino and Pleasant Valley areas.

Geology. Numerous deposits of auriferous gravels
were deposited in the west-trending Tertiary chan-
nel of the South Fork of the American River. They
were mined during the early days by hydraulicking
and drifting, and again by drifting through the 1930s.
The lower gravels are quartz-rich and in places con-
tain coarse gold. They are overlain by rhyolite and
andesite. Bedrock is slate, schist, and quartzite with
thin bands of serpentine. Granodiorite crops out to
the north and south.

Bibliography

Clork, W. B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, placer
deposits; California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 52, pp. 429—435.

lindgren, Waldemar, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

North Bloomfield

Location. The North Bloomfield mining district is
in north-central Nevada County about 10 miles north-
east of Nevada City. This district also includes the
"diggings" at Lake Qty to the west, Derbec to the
north, and Relief to the east.

History. Gold was discovered here originally in
1851. Hydraulic mining began about 1853 and, by
1855, had become a major industry. An extensive sys-
tem of ditches and flumes supplied water to the mines
from Bowman Lake and other reservoirs to the east
in the high Sierra Nevada. The town of North Bloom-
field was first known as Humbug City. Its name was
changed to Bloomfield and then to North Bloomfield
when someone discovered there was a Bloomfield in
Sonoma County.

As more and more gold-bearing gravel was exca-
vated, the hydraulic pits here became enormous. The
pit at the famous Malakoff mine is more than 7000
feet long, 3000 feet wide, and up to 600 feet deep.
The tailings from the hydraulic operations were al-
lowed to flow into the rivers, a procedure that led to
litigation with the farmers who lived downstream. In
a famous court case in 1884 (Woodruff vs. North
Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company (16 Fed. Rep.

25)), Judge Lorenzo Sawyer issued an injunction
against the dumping of mine debris into the Sacra-
mento and San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries.
Injunctions against other mines soon followed, and
hydraulic mining in the Sierra Nevada has not been
important since that date. The Malakoff diggings and
part of the old town are now a state park. The U. S.
Geological Sur\'ey, beginning in 1966, initiated an ex-
ploration program in this area to determine the extent
of unmined gravels. Drilling and geophysical explora-
tion have been done.

The total output of the Malakoff mine is about
13.5 million, and the Derbec mine has probably yielded
$1 million to S2 million according to Lindgren (1911).
He estimated that 30 million yards had been removed
and 130 million remained at North Bloomfield; Jar-
man (1927) estimated that 40 million yards had been
removed and more than 50 million remained.

Geology. The main channel of the Tertiary Yuba
River entered this district from the northeast via Der-
bec. A branch joined tliis channel from Relief Hill
to the southeast. At North Bloomfield the main chan-
nel curves west and north and then west again as it
continued toward the North Columbia district. Al-
though the gravels are as much as 600 feet thick, most
of the values were obtained from the lower 130 feet
of blue gravel. These gravels yielded from four to
10 cents of gold per cubic yard. Bedrock consists of
slate, schist, and phyllite.

Bibliography

Hobson, J. B., and Wiltsee, E. A., 1893, North Bloomfield mining
district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 11, pp. 311-312.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, North Bloomfield mine: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 454-459.

Jarman, Arthur, 1927, Bloomfield hydraulic mine: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 23, pp. 107-110.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1900, Colfax folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 139-141.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevada County, North Bloomfield mining
district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 45-51.

North Columbia

Location. This district is in north-central Nevada
County about seven miles northeast of Nevada City.
It includes placer deposits in the North Columbia and
Columbia Hill areas and lode deposits in the Delhi
mine area.

History. The district was first placer-mined during
the gold rush and hydraulicked on a large scale from
the middle 1850s to the early 1880s. It was named
after Columbia Hill, and "North" was added to distin-
guish it from Columbia in Tuolumne County. The
Delhi lode mine was active from the 1860s to the 1890s.
Chinese carried on small-scale placer mining from the
1890s to the early 1900s. Some work was done again
during the 1930s and the area has been prospected
since. The total output of the district is unknown.
The placer mines are estimated to have yielded $2 mil-
lion to $3 million. Lindgren (1911) estimated that 25
million yards of gravel had been removed and 165

102

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 52. Main Hydraulic Pit, North Columbia District. The pit, in Nevada County, is nearly two miles long and a mile wide. The view is north.

million remained. The lode mines have yielded more
than %\ million. Beginning in 1966, the U.S. Geological
Survey and U.S. Bureau of Mines have studied this
district as part of their "heavy metals" programs (see
also sections on Badger Hill and North Bloomfield).

Geology. Extensive channel deposits lie at the
junction of two major streams of the Tertiary Yuba
River. A west-trending channel extends through the
district from North Bloomfield and continues on to
Badger Hill, and a branch enters the district from
Blue Tent to the south. In places the gravels are as
much as 500 feet thick. The lower gravels are coarse
while upper bench gravels are fine. Much sand and
clay are present. Bedrock is phyllite of the Delhi for-
mation (Carboniferous). Several gold-quartz veins
have yielded high-grade ore.

Mines (all lode). Delhi $1 million, Enterprise, Griz-
zly Ridge, St. Gothard.

Bibliography

Hobson, J. B., and Wiltsee, E. A., 1893, Columbia Hill district: Coli-
fornio Min. Bur. Rept. U, pp. 305-308.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Columb.j Hill district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 444-447.

lindgren, Woldemor, 1900, Colfox folio, California: U. S. Geo!.
Survey Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 139.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevoda County, North Columbia mining dis-
trict: California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 48-51.

North San Juan

Location. This district is in northwestern Nevada
County nine miles northwest of Nevada City. It con-
sists of the placer deposits that extend from the vicinity
of North San Juan southwest for about IVi miles to
the Sweetland area. It was named for a nearby hill
with the "North" added to distinguish it from San
Juan (now San Juan Bautista) in San Benito County.

Geology. A main Tertiary channel of the Yuba
River extends into the area from the Badger Hill and
North Columbia districts from the east and another
from Camptonville from the northwest. The channel
then extends southwest through Sweetland into the
French Corral district. The gravels are 1 50 to 400 feet
thick and up to 1000 feet wide. The low gravels
yielded up to 30(f per yard in gold, mostly from hy-

draulicking. The bedrock is granodiorite with am-
phibolite to the west. There are several narrow gold-
quartz veins in the amphihplite.

Bibliography

aliforn

U. S. Geol.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1895, Smartsville folio, C
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 121-125.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevada County, North San Juan
district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 51-54.

Ophir

Location. This district is in southwestern Placer
Count)' in the vicinity of the old town of Ophir. It
extends east to Auburn and west to Gold Hill and
includes the area known as the Duncan Hill mining
district.

History. Gold-bearing surface gravels were discov-
ered at Ophir and Auburn in 1 848 and for several years
yielded substantial amounts of the mineral. The quartz
veins were then developed, and the Ophir and Duncan
Hill districts were organized. Appreciable amounts of
high-grade gold ore were recovered during the 1860s,
1870s, and 1880s, but mining activity in the district
declined after that. The mines were active again from
the early 1900s through the 1930s with substantial pro-
duction, but little has been done since. The value of
the total output of the district is estimated at more
than $5 million.

Geology. The mineralized zone is on the northeast
flank of a granodiorite and quartz-diorite stock that is
intrusive into amphibolite schist (fig. 20). A series of
west-northwest-striking and south-dipping quartz veins
occur in the granitic rocks or along the granitic rock-
amphibolite .schist contact. A few veins are in the am-
phibolite. The ore contains free gold in places with
often abundant pyrite, galena, and chalcopyrite; much
of the ore is base. Milling ore ranged from 'X to one
ounce of gold per ton. Considerable high-grade ore
was taken close to the surface during the early
da)'s. The veins range from one to five feet in thick-
ness, and several were mined to depths of more than
1000 feet. The ore shoots had stoping lengths of up
to 250 feet.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

103

Mines. Belmont, Black Ledge, Centenial % 1 50,000+,
Conrad $50,000, Crater $750,000, Doig, Eclipse $100,-
000+, Gold Blossom $216,000+, Grass Ravine, Green
$150,000+, Green Emigrant $150,000+, Hathaway
$336,000, Julian, Mina Rica $55,000, Moore $180,000,
Oro Fino $500,000+, Pine Tree, Rock Creek $200,-
000?, St. Lawrence, St. Patrick $148,000+, Three
Stars $415,000.

Bibliography

Hobson, J. B., 1890, Ophir mining district: California MIn. Bur.
Rept. 10, pp. 427-433.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Auburn district: California Min. Bur. Rapt.
8, pp. 460-462.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1892, Gold-silver veins at Ophir: U. S. Geol.
Survey 14th Ann. Rept., pt. 2, pp. 249-284.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1894, Sacramento folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. AHos of the U. S., folio 5, 3 pp.

Logon, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, Ophir district:
Colifornia Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 28-31.

Lydon, P. A., 1959, Geology along U. S. Highway 40: California
Div, Mines Mineral Informotion Service, Vol. 12, no. 8. pp. 1—9.

Woring, C. A., 1919, Placer County, Ophir district: Colifornia Min.
Bur. Rept. 15, p. 319.

Oroville

Location. This district is in southwestern Butte
County. It is mainly a dredging field that extends from
just west of the city of Oroville southwest along the
Feather River to a point about five miles due east of
Biggs. The field is one to two miles wide and nine
miles long.

History. Shallow placers were mined here during
the gold rush. The area was settled in 1849: Oroville
originally was known as Ophir City, but the name was
changed in 1855. Around 1895, W. P. Hammon and
others tested the area to determine the feasibility of
mining on a large scale. They introduced bucket-line
dredging in 1 898, the first in California. The field was
highly productive from 1903 to 1916; in 1908 there
were 35 dredges and 12 dredging companies active in

■^V,r-^'--.'o'T;

-^^^z,

■ NEWCASTLE '.

:l;

■i:

EXPLANATION

|"'-'» '-] Granitic rocl<s
pV'jI.";! Amphibolite

X -

Id-quortz vein

Figure 20. Geologic Map of Ophir ond Penryn Districts, Placer County. The principal gold veins are
shown. After lindgren, 1892 and 1894.

1(H

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 53. Cherokee Mining Company Dredge, Or

rille District. This 1904 photo shot
operating here in Butte County.

rtiest bucket-line dredges in California,

the field. Output later declined, but dredging was done
again from 1936 to 1942 and 1945 to 1952. The dredge
field is now an important source of sand and gravel.
The total output from dredging is estimated to be
about 1,964,000 ounces of gold.

Geology. The gold occurs in river gravels and
adjacent terrace gravels on the flood plain. The gravels
rest on a bedrock of soft but compact andesite and
rhyolite tuff. Coarse boulders, which become finer
downstream, are present along with alternating sand
layers. Digging depths ranged from 25 feet upstream
to as much as 55 feet downstream. The gold was fine
and occurred chiefly in the gravels. It was 915 to 930
in fineness. Dredge recoveries ranged from 15 cents
to 25 cents per yard of gold at the new price. Minor
amounts of platinum also were recovered.

Concerns. Butte Dredging Co., El Oro Dredging
Co., Feather River Development Co., Gold Hill Dredg-
ing Co. 1938-50, Gold Run Dredging Co. 1906, In-
diana Gold Dredging Co. 1908, Kentucky Ranch Gold
Dredging Co. 1909, Natomas Cons. 1909-17, Oroville
Dredging Ltd. 1906-16, Oroville Gold Dredging Co.
1941-44, Oroville Union Gold Dredg. Co. 1914, Oro
Water Light & Power Co. 1906-16, Pacific Gold
Dredging Co. 1906-16?, Pennsylvania Dredging Co.,
Shasta-Butte Gold Dredg. Co. 1928-?, Viloro Syndi-
cate Ltd. 1904-16?, Yuba Cons. 1935-52. Many other
earlier concerns were consolidated around 1906.

Bibliography

Doolittle, J. E., 1908, Gold dredging in California, Oroville district:
California Min. Bur. Bull. 36, pp. 68-88.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 220-221.

Logon, C. A., 1930, Butte County, gold plocer mines: California Div.
Mines Repl. 26, pp. 383-384.

O'Brien, J. C, 1949, Butte County, Yuba Consolidated Goldfields
dredges: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 45, pp. 432-433.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Butte County, gold dredging: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 187-198.

Winston, W. B., 1910, Gold dredging in California, Dredging in lh«
Oroville district: California Min. Bur. Bull. 57, pp. 111-158.

Pacific

This is a placer-mining district in east-central El
Dorado County, in the vicinity of Pacific House and
about 20 miles east of Placerville. Several hydraulic
and drift mines here were originally worked in 1850s
or 1860s, with some work at the Pacific Channel drift
mine in the early 1920s. The gravel deposits are on a
Tertiary channel that extended west and southwest
toward Placerville. The gravels are capped by andesite
and rest on a granite bedrock.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemor, ond Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio,
California: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Logan, C. A., 1920, El Dorado County, Pocific channel mine: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 428-429.

Paloma

This district is in northwestern Calaveras County in
the vicinity of the old mining town of Paloma. Much
of the gold produced in the district has come from the
famous Gwin mine, which was operated on a large
scale during the 1860s, 1870s, and from 1894 to 1908.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

105

The mine, named for U.S. Senator William Gwin, had
a total output valued at about $7 million.

The gold-bearing veins are in the same belt of slate
of the A4ariposa Formation (Upper Jurassic) on which
the large Jackson district mines lie, in Amador County
to the north (see fig. 12). The quartz veins strike
north-northwest and dip steeply to the east. The ore
contains free gold, pyrite, and arsenopyrite. Milling
ore recovered from the Gwin mine averaged about 14
ounce gold per ton. The great north ore shoot in this
mine had a horizontal stoping length of up to 800 feet
and a pitch length of 150iO feet.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., ond lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, Gwin mine:

California Div. Mines and Geology County Report 2, pp. 56-59.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Penryn

Location. This district in southwestern Placer
County in the vicinity of the town of Penryn, also
has been known as Stewart's Flat. The Ophir district
adjoins it on the north and northeast (fig. 20). The
town of Penryn was named by Griffith Griffiths, who
opened granite quarries here in 1860, after Penrhyn,
Wales. Appreciable mining activity here during the
1930s and early 1940s was highlighted by work at the
Alabama, Chicago, and Sicily mines.

Geology. The principal country rocks are gran-
odiorite and quartz diorite with some diorite and gab-
bro. A number of north- to northwest-striking quartz
veins, cropping out with nearly vertical dips, range
from one to five feet in thickness. The ore contains
free gold with varying amounts of sulfides. Argentite
and tellurides are occasionally present. The milling-
grade ore usually averaged '/j to Vi ounce of gold per
ton, but some was considerably richer.

Mines. Alabama $1 million+, Chicago 1 100,000+,
Elizabeth, Highway 40, Jenny Lind, Mary Len, Pen-
ryn, Sicily $100,000-1-.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1894, Sacramento folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 5, 3 pp.

Logan, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, Alabama and
Chicago mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 10-11 ond 16-17.

Pike

Location and History. This district is in the south-
west corner of Sierra Count}' at the site of the old
town of Pike or Pike Cit>'. Some of the early-day
miners came from Pike, Missouri. The district, 1 2 miles
northeast of North San Juan and 26 miles northeast
of Nevada City, includes the Tippicanoe, Negro Tent,
Snowden Hill, and Grizzly Gulch areas. The area was
originally mined during the gold rush, and the Alaska
mine was worked on a large scale from 1863 to 1916.
The Pleasant View hydraulic mine was active in 1962
and 1963.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain by metadiabase, serpentine, and irregular bodies of
amphibolite. Fine-grained phyllite and quartzite of the
Delhi Formation (Carboniferous) lie on the east side.

Lenticular quartz veins with calcite occur chiefly in
the metadiabase. The ore bodies contain free gold
and often abundant sulfides, including galena. There
are some extensive ore shoots and some high-grade
pockets. The gold often is coarse. Several patches of
Tertiary quartz-rich gravel are a few acres in extent,
some of the gravel capped by andesite.

Mines. Lode: Alaska $1 million-!-, American Flat,
Beame, Blue Grouse, Bowman, General Grant. Placer:
Grizzly Gulch, Mt. Alta, Orient, Pleasant View, Tip-
picanoe, True Grit.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1942, Sierra County, Alaska mine: California Div.
Mines Rept. 38, pp. 17-18.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1900, Colfax folio, Californio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 138.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1920, Sierra County, Pike mining district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 14-15.

Pilot Hill

Location. This district is in northwestern El Do-
rado County in the vicinity of the town of Pilot Hill.
The area was first mined during the gold rush. It was
worked again in the 1930s with draglines and power
shovels.

Geology. The principal deposit is a 20- to 30-acre
remnant of the main Tertiary channel of the Ameri-
can River that extended northwest from Placerville.
The gravels rest on greenstone and green schist. To
the south are several bodies of gabbro and diorite.
During the 1930s the yield from these gravels was 13
to 60 cents per yard in gold. Also, there are a few
narrow gold-quartz veins.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio:

U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:

U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 164.

Pine Grove

Location. Pine Grove is in east-central Amador
County about 10 miles east of Jackson. It includes
the Irishtown and Clinton areas. It is a small Sierran
east gold belt district that was first worked during the
gold rush and has been intermittently prospected ever
since.

Geology. The district is underlain chiefly by gra-
phitic slate, schist, and metachert. Granodiorite lies to
the east and west. A number of narrow quartz veins
containing small ore shoots are rich in places. The ore
commonly contains abundant sulfides, especially ga-
lena and chalcopyrite. A few small patches of Tertiary
auriferous channel gravels overlie the bedrock.

Mines. Black Wonder, Contini, Aiikado, Peterson,
Pine Grove Unit, Rainbow, Red Hill.

Bibliography

Carlson, D. W., and Clark, W. B., 1954, Amador County, Black
Wonder, Contini, Peterson, Rainbow, and Red Hill mines: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 50, pp. 172, 177-178, 189, and 192.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas
of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

106

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull 193

Photo 54. Contini Mine, Pine Grove District. This Amodor
County mine is a typical Sierra Nevada East Gold Belt
pocket mine. It has been worked on a small scale since the

1940s. The
Sc/iwettzer.

looks west. Photo by itffray

Photo 55. Red Hill Mine, Pine Grove District.
This 1952 photo shows an Amador County pocket
mine that was active in the 1940s. Much of the
area around this mine has 4iow been subdivided.
Photo by Jeffrey Scttweitzer.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

107

Photo 56. Ground Sluicing, Plocerville District. This photo of an operation in the district, in El Oorodo County, wo$ token in obout 1849. from

the collecfion of Mrs. T. J. Lobbord, Son fronciscok

Piute Mountains

Location. The Piute Mountains are in the southern
Sierra Nevada, in east-central Kern County near Clara-
ville, about 14 miles southeast of Bodfish. Gold was
probably discovered here during the 1850s, but the
principal periods of mining were 1870 to 1900 and the
1930s and early 1940s. Some tungsten has been pro-
duced in the district.

Geology. Most of the district is underlain by Meso-
zoic granitic rocks. In the northwest portion a roof
pendant of Mesozoic metasedimentary rock crops out.
Most of the gold deposits are confined to a two-mile-
wide belt that extends northwest through the Clara-
ville area in granitic rock and then north in the meta-
morphic rocks. The deposits consist of gold-quartz
veins in shear zones. Some sulfides and also scheelite,
in places, are present. Milling ore averaged about Yi
ounce of gold per ton. Silver and antimony also are
present.

Mines. Amy, Blue Jay, Bright Star $600,000,
Dearborn, Donnie, French, Gold Standard, Gwynne
1770,000, Henry Ford, Hilltop, Jeannette, Jeanette-
Grant, Jerry, Little Joe, Lone Star, Mary Ellen, Re-
treat, Shellenberger, Simon, Surprise.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Kern County, Bright Star mine: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14, p. 490.

Troxel, B. W., and Morton, P. K„ 1962, Kern County, Piute Mountains
district: California Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 1, pp. 45-46.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1933, Kern County, Gwynne and
Jeonette mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 307-309.

Plocerville

Location. Placerville is in west-central EI Dorado
County. The district includes the lode mines of the
Mother Lode belt, which extends north through the
district, and the placer deposits here and in the ad-
jacent Smith Flat, Diamond Springs, Texas Hill, Coon
Hollow, and White Rock areas.

History. Gold was discovered in the Placerville
area in July 1848. The town was first known as Dry
Diggings but had the nickname of Old Hangtown;
three robbers were hanged here on October 17, 1849.
From the middle 1850s through the 1870s, the hy-
draulic and drift mines in the district were extremely
rich. One 20-acre claim at Coon Hollow yielded $5
million, and the Spanish Hill area yielded $6 million.
Quartz mining began in 1852 at the Pacific mine, but
the chief period of lode mining was from the 1880s
until about 1915. There was some mining in the dis-
trict again in the 1930s, but there has been little activ-
ity since. Many of the mines in the district came

108

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

under the control of the Placervillc Gold Mining
Company. The value of the total output for the
district is unknown, but the placer mines are esti-
mated to have yielded at least |25 million.

Geology. A belt of gray to black slate of the Mari-
posa Formation (Upper Jurassic) one to two miles
wide extends north through the central portion of the
district. Greenstone and amphibolite are to the west,
and schist and slate of the Calaveras Formation (Car-
boniferous to Permian) and granodiorite lie to the
east. The Tertiary South Fork of the American River,
which has numerous tributaries, entered the Placerville
basin from Newtown. In places the Tertiary gravels
are overlain by thick beds of rhyolite tuff and andesite.

Ore Deposits. Of the numerous tributaries of the
main Tertiary channel in this district, probably the
best known and one of the richest was the Deep
Blue Lead. This channel extended south from White
Rock to Smith's Flat and then west-southwest through
the Texas Hill area (fig. 21). The lode-gold deposits
are massive quartz veins as much as 20 feet thick with
numerous parallel stringers. The ore bodies are low to
moderate in grade (% to ^ ounce of gold per ton),
but the veins have been mined to depths of 2000 feet.
The ore contains finely disseminated free gold and
small amounts of pyrite. The veins occur chiefly in
slate.

Mines. Lode: Elliott, Eplev $100,000+, Griffith,
Guildford $200,000+, Harmon $100,000+, Larkin
$125,000, Margurite, Oregon $100,000+, Pacific
$1,486,000, River Hill, Sherman $136,000, Superior,
True Cons. $100,000, Van Hooker $100,000+.

Placer: Coon Hollow $10 million, Diamond Springs,
Green Mountain, Negro Hill, Sacramento Hill, Span-
ish Hill $6 million, Smith's Flat $2 milIion+, Texas
Hill, White Rock $5 million. Drift: Benfield, Cedar
Spring, Clark, Kumfa, Landecker, Lyon, Pascoe, Ri-
vera, Texas Flill, Try Again, Union.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Carl.on, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, Placer,
ville Gold Mining Company and Placerville area placer deposit: Cali-
fornia Jour. Minei and Geology, vol. 52, pp. 422-423 and 432-434.

DeGroot, Henry, 1890, Smiths Flat mines: California Min. Bur. Kept.
10, pp. 179-180.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Van Hooker, Pacific, and Epiey, Cons,
mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 181-187.

Lindgren, Woldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, pp. 171-180.

logon, C. A., 1935, Harmon group: California Div. Mines Bull. 108,
pp. 26-27.

Rowlands, R., 1894, Map of the principol gravel mines in the vicinity
of Placerville: California Min. Bur. Rept. 12, p. 100.

Tucker, W. B., 1919, El Dorado County, Pacific mine: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 293-295.

Poker Flat

Location. This district is in northern Sierra County
about 10 miles north of Downie ville. It includes the
Howland Flat, Table Rock, Deadwood, Mt. Fillmore,
Potosi, and Rattlesnake Peak areas. It is mainly a
placer-mining district.

History. The streams were first mined during the
gold rush. The locality was extremely rich then; in
one month gold valued at $700,000 was produced.
Hydraulic mining was done on a major scale from

Photo 57. California Gold Mine. The locole is uncertain, but it probably was in the Placerville district. Photo eourteiy of Soncroft library.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

109

RIV£R_

Figure 21. Map of Placerville DUtrict, El Dorado
County. The map shows mine locations. Aii^r C/ork and
Carlson, 1956.

1—7 * J?" B SHERMAN (L)

' /_Y I i__/

,1 B HARMON (L)

' PLACERVILLE .„ X j

y SMITH s
\ FLAT

^BENFELO (D)

PA_c,nc (L) -jrrtr'oSl,, ^ ,

i'.:i*>.^v X -r^::--^'

/ %■/</= ■^••;>i"/„ TEXAS HILL /

COON ••.*.;,.■".--""""„„..,„„ ^ •• '""" '"i

HOLLOW ^^„, -^ ....ceoar""^-:::^,^,-&?h, „.->-"'x";;--'r^frD\"'' *"'"

,, „.=SPRING (D) ""'".7!51g',„,'i" TEXA^S HILL ID)

'"' ' UNION (Dl".'~ VrIVERA (0)

B
OREGON (L)

EPLEY (LP

■U

i, LANOECKER (H)

B SUPERIOR (Li
B LARKIN (L)

EXPLANATION

•tljl Tertiary gravel

5?(H) Hydraulic mine

(D) Drift mine

ID Lode mine

-< Adit

B Shaft

the late 1850s through the 1880s. Some lode mining
and drift mining continued through the eariy 1900s,
and the area was prospected in the 1920s and 1930s.
The district was made famous by Bret Harte's tale,
The Outcasts of Poker Flat. This district has been
highly productive, the mines at Howland Flat alone
being credited with an output valued at $14 million.

Geology. The northern part of the district is
underlain by amphibolite with some serpentine. To the
south and east there are slates of the Blue Canyon
Formation (Carboniferous). Substantial portions of
the area are capped by andesite. Extensive deposits of
Tertiary aiuiferous quartz gravels are part of the Port
Wine channel, which extends west and northwest
through this district and then west and southwest into
the Port Wine district. The lower quartz-rich gravels
were also gold-rich. Portions of the channel have been

faulted. Some narrow gold-quartz veins occur in am-
phibolite and slate.

Mines. Placer: Caledonia, California, Clippership,
Deadwood, Forest Queen, Gibraltar, Hawkeye, Herla-
mer and Bunker Hill, Manchester, Miners Home, Pa-
cific, Poker Flat, Potosi, Rattlesnake, Scott, Virginia,
Tennessee, Winkeye. Lode: Alhambra, Mammoth,
Mt. Fillmore Cons., New York.

Bibliography

LIndgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geo!. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 108-109.

Logan, C. A., 1924, Gravel mines of Howland Flat Ridge: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 20, pp. 362-367.

Logan, C. A., 1929, Sierra County, placer mines: California Div.
Mines Rept. 25, pp. 184-211.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1920, Sierra County, Poker Flat district: Californio
Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 15-19.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Caufornia Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

111

Polk Springs

This is a small placer-mining district in eastern Te-
hama County just south of Polk Springs. It is about
30 miles east-southeast of Red Bluff. Some gold was
recovered by hydraulicking years ago, the last work
apparently having been done in the 1930s. The deposit
consists of gravels up to 50 feet in thickness that con-
tain pebbles of quartz, granitic rocks, and volcanic
rocks. Bedrock is schist, which occurs with granitic
rocks in a window completely surrounded by volcanic
rocks.

Port Wine

Location. The Port Wine district is in northwest-
ern Sierra County about 10 miles northwest of Down-
ieville. The site was named by a party of prospectors
who found a keg of port concealed in the bushes.
The La Porte district adjoins on the northwest, the
Poverty Hill district on the southwest, and the Poker
Flat-Howland Flat district on the northeast. This dis-
trict includes the "diggings" at Grass Flat, Queen City,
and St. Louis. The area was extensively mined by hy-
draulicking and drifting during and after the gold rush
and has been intermittently prospected since.

Geology. The Port Wine channel, a major branch
of the La Porte channel, extends southwest through
this area. It is roughly parallel to the La Porte chan-
nel for some miles and joins it at Scales. The channel
is well-defined and several hundred feet wide. The
gravels are quartz-rich and in places are covered by
"pipe" clay and andesite. Bedrock is slate, quartzite,
amphibolite, and greenstone.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevadg:
U. S. Geo!. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 108-110.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1920, Sierra County, Port Wine mining district: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 19-23.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 17, 8 pp.

Poverty Hill

Location and History. This district is in western
Sierra Count>% 10 miles northwest of Downieville and
five miles south of La Porte. The Port Wine district
is to the northeast, and the Brandy City district is to
the south-southwest. Poverty Hill district includes the
Scales and Mount Pleasant areas. The area was mined
by hydraulicking and drifting during and after the
gold rush. Mining here again during the 1930s and
early 1940s included an attempt to work the Poverty
Hill pit with a bucket-line dredge.

Geology. The main channel of the Tertiary North
Fork of the Yuba River, or La Porte channel, enters
this district from the north and continues south and
southwest to the Brandy City and Indian Hill districts.
The Port Wine channel, a branch of the La Porte
channel, enters the area from the northeast at Scales.
This smaller branch channel parallels the main channel
for some miles. At the Poverty Hill pit, the channel
is up to 1 500 feet wide and 1 50 feet deep. The lower
"blue" gravels are quartz-rich and cemented in places.
There are a number of large boulders. At Scales the

channel is similar. Bedrock consists of slate, quartzite,
amphibolite and serpentine. Lindgren estimated in 1911
that, at Poverty Hill, 2.25 million yards had been
removed and 5 million yards were ultimately available,
while at Scales and Mt. Pleasant, 4.05 million yards
had been excavated and 60 million yards were ulti-
mately available.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1942, Sierra County, Poverty Hill properties: California
Div. Mines Rept. 38, pp. 35-37.

Lindgren, Woldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 104-108.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1920, Sierra County, Poverty Hill mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 23-26.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio, Colifornia: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Quincy

Location. This district is in central Plumas County
in the general vicinit)' of Quincy, the county seat.
It includes the Elizabethtown and Butterfly Valley
areas. The Meadow Valley district lies just to the west
and the Sawpit Flat district to the south. The district
was first mined during the gold rush, and there has
been intermittent prospecting and development work
ever since.

Geology. The principal rocks that underlie the
district are slate, mica schist, and quartzite. Greenstone
lies to the northeast and serpentine to the southwest.
American and Thompson Valleys are underlain by
Recent and Pleistocene alluvium. A few isolated peaks
in the area are capped by basalt.

Ore Deposits. Gold-quartz veins occur principally
in slate and mica schist; some are as thick as 15 feet.
The veins may be massive or consist of numerous
parallel stringers. The ore contains free gold and vary-
ing amounts of sulfides, chiefly pyrite. Although some
of the veins have been developed for horizontal dis-
tances of several thousand feet, none has been worked
to depths of greater than a few hundred feet. There
are a few small Tertiary channel gravel deposits to
the south. The Recent and Pleistocene valley alluvium
is gold-bearing in places.

Mines. Placer: Bushman, Carr, Cascade, Elizabeth-
town Flat, Imperial, Manhattan, Mill Creek, Newton
Cons., Newton Flat, Riverdale. Lode: Bell, Butterfly,
Fairplay, Gold Leaf Cons., Homestake, King Solomon,
St. Nicolas, Tefltt, White Oak.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1937, Plumas County, gold: California Div. Mines
Rept. 33, pp. 103-124.

Lindgren, Woldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, pp. 111-113.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1920, Plumas County, Quincy mining district: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 36-41.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Railroad Flat
Location. This district is in central Calaveras
County in the vicinity of the town of Railroad Flat,

112

California Division of Minf^ and Geology

Bull. 193

seven miles south of West Point and 13 miles east of
Mokelumne Hill. The district was named by an early-
day placer miner who had laid a few hundred feet of
wooden railroad track on his claim.

Geology. The area is underlain chiefly by gra-
phitic schist, slate, quartzite, and metamorphosed chert
(see fig. 25, p. 129). A number of narrow north-strik-
ing quartz veins contain free gold and often abun-
dant sulfides, especially galena. The ore shoots are
small and usually do not extend to depths of greater
than 200 feet, but they often are rich.

Several deposits of quartz-rich gravels have been
mined by drifting or hydraulicking. These gravels
were deposited bv the south-trending Tertiary Fort
Mountain channel. In places the gravels are overlain
by rhyolite.

Mines. A.V.G., Bald Eagle, Banner Blue (placer).
Clary, Fine Gold $200,000, Jeff Davis. Kaiser Wil-
heliri, Lampson (placer), Mohawk, Old Gray, Petti-
coat, Foe, Prussian Hill, Sanderson $100,000+, Sum-
mit, Swiss.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Mines and mineral resources
of Calaveras County: California Div. Mines and Geology, gold, pp.
32-93.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 210-212.

Storms, W. H., 1894, Ancient channel system of Calaveras County:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 12, pp. 482-492.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas
of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Turner, H. W., and Ronsome, F. L., 1898, Big Trees folio: U. S. Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 5^, 8 pp.

Ralston Divide

Location. This is a placer-gold district in south-
eastern Placer County, 25 miles east of Forest Hill. It
is an e.xtensive region that includes the Ralston Ridge,
Long Canyon, and Nevada Point Ridge areas. It is
just south of the Duncan Peak district.

Geology. The deposits are along a west- and south-
west-trending Tertiary gravel channel known as the
Long Canyon channel, the eastward continuation of
the main Michigan Bluff-Forest Hill channel. The
gravels are interbedded with rhyolite tuffs and contain
granitic boulders. The main Long Canyon channel is
fairly broad and flat and covers large areas, but it is
generally of low grade. The gold usually is fine. Bed-
rock is slate and quartz-bearing schist of the Blue Can-
yon Formation (Carboniferous), with granodiorite to
the east. The gravels are capped by andesite and rhyo-
lite. Mining was done by hydraulicking and drifting.

Mines. Blacksmith Flat, Clydesdale, Goggins,
Granite, Ralston, Russian Ravine, Zuver.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911. Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 152-153.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1900, Colfox folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Logan, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, placer mines:
Colifoniio D'li Mines Repl. 32, pp. 49-96.

Rattlesnake Bar

Location and History. Rattlesnake Bar is in north-
western EU Dorado County and southern Placer
County. The placer mines here along the American
River were highly productive during the gold rush.
The town was established in 1849 and became good-
sized until 1864, when it was destroyed by fire. The
Zantgraff mine, the principal lode mine in the district
with a reported production of $1 million, was active
from 1880 to 1901 and again in the 1930s. Dragline
dredging was done in the region during the 1930s.
Part of the district is covered by the Folsom Reser-
voir.

Geology. The district is on the eastern flank of a
major granodiorite stock that is intrusive into green-
stones and amphibolite. A major body of serpentine
and a limestone lens crop out in the area. Several ex-
tensive deposits of Pleistocene shore gravels along the
American River were hydraulickcd. The Zantgraff
vein contains abundant sulfides, including galena and
chalcopyrite, and was mined to a depth of 1 100 feet.
This district also has yielded substantial amounts of
chromite and limestone and some copper.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorodo County, Zantgraff
mine: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 52, p. 429.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1894, Sacramento folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 5, 3 p.

Rich Bar

Rich Bar is in western Plumas County near the
junction of the North Fork and the East Branch of
the North Fork of the Feather River. During the gold
rush this was an extremely rich placer-mining district;
Rich Bar alone is credited with an output of $9 mil-
lion. Later the river was mined by Chinese. The river
here goes around a series of sharp bends, a course that
has resulted in the formation of wide gravel bars.
There are several narrow gold-quartz veins in the area.

Rich Gulch

Location. Rich Gulch is in north-central Calaveras
County adjacent to the Mokelumne Hill district on
the east and west of the West Point and Railroad Fiat
districts. It includes the Jesus Aiaria area.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The area is underlain
by graphite schist, quartzite, slate and numerous lime-
stone lenses of the Calaveras Formation (Carbonifer-
ous to Permian) that have been intruded by several
small granodiorite stocks. The quartz veins usually are
narrow and contain varying amounts of gold and sul-
fides. Much high-grade ore was recovered from shal-
low workings during the early days, but at depth the
ore usually contains only a few dollars per ton in gold.

Mines. Blue Jay, Ilex. Quartz Glen $300,000-1-,
Rindge No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, Salvador.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, gold:
Colifornia Div. Mines and Geology County Rept. 2, pp. 32-93.

Irelon, William, Jr., 1888, Ilex Gold Mining Company: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 135-138.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

113

-«.>4BMfc***^ -^

Photo 59. Lee Drift Mine, Rocklin District. This 1956

looking east, shows the headframe and washing plant at the mine, in Placer
County.

logon, C. A., and Franke, H., 1936, Calaveras County, Rich Gulch
district: California Div. Mines Rept. 32, p. 238.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas
of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Rocklin

Location. This is a placer-mining district in south-
western Placer County, two miles east of Rocklin and
two miles south of Loomis. A gravel channel of the
Tertiary American River trends southwestward
through the area. There are actually two channels: an
upper loosely consolidated intervolcanic channel that
contains some gold and a lower well-cemented quartz-
rich channel that in places was rich. The lower gravels
yielded $ 1 or more per yard in gold. The gold is fine,
flat, and sometimes rusty. The lower channel is as
much as 1500 feet wide. Bedrock is granodiorite, and
in places the gravels are capped by andesite. The Lee
drift mine, one of the principal sources of gold in the
district, has been prospected in recent years.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1894, Sacramento folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 5, 3 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary channels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 163-164.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Placer County, The Rocklin district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 15, p. 319.

Rough-and-Read/

Location and History. Rough-and-Ready is in
western Nevada County about five nules west of Grass
Valley. Placer mining began here during the gold
rush. The town was founded in 1849 by the Rough
and Ready military company led by Captain A. A.
Townsend. He had once served under General Zach-
ary Taylor, who was known as "Old Rough and
Ready". Drift and hydraulic mining began in the late

1850s, and lode mining became important in the 1860s.
There was considerable activity that lasted until about
1900. Some work was done in the district in the 1930s,
and there has been minor prospecting since.

Geology and Ore Deposits. A north-trending belt
of amphlbolite one to two miles wide traverses the
central portion of the district. Gabbro and diorite lie
to the east and granodiorite to the north. Some or-
bicular gabbro is present. A west-trending Tertiary
gravel channel of the Yuba River crosses the north
portion of the district. A number of north-strking
quartz veins occur chiefly in amphibolite. The veins
are one to five feet thick and contain free gold with
pyrite and other sulfides. Considerable high-grade ore
was taken out. None of the veins has been developed
to depths of more than 500 feet.

Mines. Lode: Alcade (Kenosha) $500,000, Black
Bear, California, Ironclad, Mystery, Niagara, Norman-
die-Dulmaine $100,000, Osceola, Seven-Thirty, Vul-
can-Grey Eagle. Placer: Alta-Califomia, Jenny Lind.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1895, Smartsville folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 120-124.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevada County, Rough-and-Ready mining
district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 54-57.

Sampson Flat

Location. Sampson Flat is in eastern Fresno County
about eight miles north of Dunlap and 45 miles east of
Fresno. The district includes the area known as Davis
Flat. Sometimes it has been included in the Mill Creek
District. It was placer-mined in the early days, and the
lode mines were active from the 1880s until about
1915.

114

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Geology. The district is underlain by granodiorite,
gabbro and small amounts of pyroxenite. Several north-
trending quartz veins rvvo to three feet thick contain
free gold and varying amounts of sulfides. There is
some tungsten mineralization in bodies of tactite.

Mines. Davis Flat, Delilah (Black Jack & Her-
cules), Little Monitor, Oro Fino, Sampson.

Bibliography

BradUy, Wolter W., 1916, Fr«»no County, Delilah Mining Co.: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. R*pl. 14, p. 443.

San Andreas

Location. This district is in west-central Qilaveras
County. It consists of that part of the Mother Lode
gold belt that extends from the North Branch-Cottage
Springs area southeast through San Andreas and Ken-
tucky House to the vicinity of Fourth Crossing. It is
both a lode- and placer-mining district.

History. The streams were mined during the early
part of the gold rush. San Andreas Gulch was first set-
tled by Mexicans in 1848 or 1849. The Tertiary chan-
nel deposits were mined by hydraulicking and drifting
from the 1850s through the 1880s, and some drift
mining has continued until the present time. Lode
mining also began in the 1850s. Numerous lode mines
were active from the 1870s until about 1900 and again
during the 1930s. The Union gold mine was prospected
for uranium in the middle 1950s.

Geology. The area is underlain by northwest-
trending belts of greenstone, amphibolite schist, slate,
and lenticular serpentine bodies. At Kentucky House,
a large body of dolomitic limestone contains lenses of
high-calcium limestone mined by the Calaveras Ce-
ment Company. To the east of San Andreas is a grano-
diorite stock. Overlying portions of the district are
numerous deposits of auriferous Tertiary channel
gravels.

Ore Deposits. The lode deposits consist of north-
west-trending quartz veins with stringers that contain
finely divided free gold and pyrite. The veins occur
principally in amphibolite and greenstone. Most of the
milling ore averages '/j ounce of gold per ton or less,
but several of the ore shoots have been mined to
depths of 700 feet. Considerable high-grade ore was
taken from shallow workings during the early days.
Small amounts of tellurides and uranium minerals have
been found in this district.

Mines. Lode: Commodore, Etna, Everlasting, Fel-
lowcraft. Ford, Gottschalk, Golden Hill, Helen, Hol-
land, Kate Hageman, Lookout Mtn., Mester, Pioneer
Chief, Rathgeb, Thorpe, Union $200,000+. Placer:
Benson, Central Hill, Lloyd, North Branch, Rising
Star, Wheats.

Bibliography

Clork, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, gold: Cali-
fornia Div. Minei and Geology County Rept. 2, pp. 32-93.

Knopf, Adolph, 1929, The Mother Lode system of California: U. S.
Geol. Suryey Prof. Paper 157, pp. 70-71.

Lindgren, Woldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 209-210.

Logon, C. A., and Franke, H., 1936, Colaveroi County, gold: Cali-
fornia D'rr. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 235-364.

Ransome, F. L., 1900, Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1894, Ancient channel system of Calaveras County:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 12, pp. 482-492.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. GmI. Survey Geol. Atlas of
the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Sowplt Flat

Location. This is an extensive gold-bearing region
in southern Plumas County. It is contiguous with the
Quincy district to the north and the Gibsonville dis-
trict in Sierra County to the south. It includes the
Last Chance, Sawmill Flat, Monitor Flat, Onion Val-
ley, Harrison Flat, Blue Nose Mountain, and Nelson
Point areas. The district was named in 1850 for a pit
that was dug for the use of a whipsaw. The region
was extensively mined during the early days and has
been intermittently prospected since. In recent years
there has been some placer mining at Monitor Flat.
Skin divers have prospected in the Middle Fork of the
Feather River.

Geology. The east portion of the district is under-
lain by slate, schist, and quartzite of the Calaveras
Formation (Carboniferous to Permian). Also there are
several limestone lenses. To the west the district is
underlain by serpentine and amphibolite. The ridges
are capped by Tertiary andesite and basalt.

Ore Deposits. The Tertiary gravels are largely
quartz-rich, and in places, rich in gold. At Sawpit
Flat the gravels are part of the Richmond Hill-Onion
Hill channel, while those to the east at Bunker Hill
and Blue Nose Mountain are in the northeast end of
the famous La Porte channel. A number of gold-
quartz veins are in the district, some of which are
part of a vein system that extends along the contact
zone between serpentine and schist and slate.

Mines. Placer: Boulder West, Bunker Hill, Ford-
ham, Golden Gate, H & G, Kelly, King Solomon,
Mayflower, Morning Star Cons., Nelson Creek, Red
Slide, Richmond Hill, Rio Vista, Smith, Turkeytown,
Union Hill, Zumwalt. Lode: Bainbridge, Belfrin, Dean,
Five Bear, Gold Point, Gold Run, Independence, Oro
Fino, Oversight, Pilot, Pilot Peak, Plumas Bonanza,
Rose Quartz, Sugar Pine, Wilson-Gomez.

Bibliography

Mines

Averill, C. V., 1937, Plumos County, gold: Californi
Rept. 33, pp. 103-124.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierro Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 110.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1920, Plumas County, Sawpit Flat mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 42-46.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio, Colifornio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Scotts Flat

Location and History. This district is in west-cen-
tral Nevada County about seven miles due east of
Nevada Grv. It includes the Tertiary placer "dig-
gings" at Scotts Flat, Quaker Hill, Hunts Hill, Buck-
eye Hill, and Burrington Hill. The You Bet-Red Dog
district lies immediately to the south and the Nevada
City district to the west. The various mines were
extensively hydraulicked from the 1850s through the

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

115

1880s, and later the tailings were reworked by Chinese
miners. Also there was drift mining in the district.
The area was prospected during the 1930s.

Geology. These deposits are in the north-north-
west trending Tertiarj' gravel channel that extends
from You Bet-Red Dog to North Columbia. A south-
west-trending tributary comes into the area from
Burrington Hill and joins this channel at Hunts Hill.
At Hunts Hill and Quaker Hill the main channel is
nearly 600 feet deep with bench gravels up to 300
feet in depth. The deep gravels are well-cemented
and quartz-rich and, in places, were very rich in gold.
Tlie upper gravels usually are fine and contain abun-
dant sand. The deep channel is believed to be con-
tinuous all the way from Hunts Hill to the Blue Tent
district, a distance of seven miles. Bedrock in the east
portion is slate and in the west, phyllite and green-
stone. On the major ridges the gravels are capped by
Tertiary andesite and rhyolite.

In 1911 Lindgren estimated that 12 million cubic
yards of gravel had been removed from Scotts Flat
and 35 million from Quaker Hill. He also estimated
that a vast amount (140 million cubic yards) remained
at Quaker Hill. The U. S. Army Engineers (Jarman,
1927) estimated 50 million to 90 million cubic yards
remained at Quaker Hill. They also estimated that
6.75 million cubic yards had been removed, and 4
million to 5 million remained at Hunts Hill.

Bibliography

Jarman, Arthur, 1927, Hunts Hill, Quaker Hill, and Buckeye Hill:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 23, pp. 100-101.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 143-144.

lindgren, Waldemor, 1900, Colfax folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Sheep Ranch

Location. The Sheep Ranch district is in south-
central Calaveras County about 16 miles east of San
Andreas and eight miles north of Murphys. It includes
the old Washington district just to the south and the
El Dorado area to the west.

History. The streams in the area were first mined
during the gold rush. Drift mining of the Tertiary
channel gravels began in the late 1850s and continued
intermittently through the early 1900s. The Sheep
Ranch mine, the largest source of gold in the district
and the largest mine of the Sierra Nevada east gold
belt, was first worked in 1868. Senator George Hearst
had an interest in this mine from 1877 to 1895. It
was operated on a major scale until around 1907 and
again from 1936 to 1942. The Right Bower mine has
been intermittently worked since 1946.

Geology. The principal rocks underlying the area
are slate, impure quartzite and graphite schist of the
Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to Permian),
which have been intruded by gabbroic stocks. The
gravel deposits are quartz-rich and occur as patches.
They are part of the Tertiary Fort Mountain channel,
which extends south from the Railroad Flat district.
In places the gravels are overlain by rhyolite.

Photo 60. Sheep Ranch Mine, Sheep Ranch District. This westward
view of the Calaveras County mine was taken in about 1905. With a
total output of more thon $7 million, the Sheep Ranch mine was the

most productive operation in the Sierra Nevada East Gold Belt. Photo
courtesy of Hillcrest Studio, Angels Camp.

116

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Figura 22. Geologic Mop of Sierra City and Johnsville Districts, Sierra and Plumas Counties.
AU»r Turner, Oownievi//e folio, 1897.

Ore Deposits. The quartz veins usually are a few
feet thick and range from white to dark smoky gray
in color. Smoky vein quartz is characteristic of some
of the mines in this district. The ore contains free
gold, which often is coarse, and varying amounts of
sulfides. Appreciable quantities of high-grade ore have
been recovered. The Sheep Ranch vein has been
mined to a depth of about 3000 feet. The gravels usu-
ally are fairly well-cemented and were rich in places.

Mines. Lode: Bon Ton, Fenian, Mar John $360,-
000, Right Bower, Sheep Ranch $7 million, Sonoma,
Washington $600,000. Placer: Brassila, Lava Bed.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, gold: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines and Geology County Rept. 2, pp. 32-93.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Sheep Ranch mine: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 131-133.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 210-212.

Logon, C. A., ond Fronke, H., 1936, Colaveros County, Sheep Ranch
mine: Colifornio Div. Mines Rept. 32, p. 288.

Storms, W. H., 1900, Sheep Ranch mine: California MIn. Bur. Bull.
18, pp. 104-105.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Colaveros County, Sheep Ranch mine: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 104-105.

Turner, H. W., and Ronsome, F. L, 1898, Big Trees folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 51, 8 pp.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

Shingle Springs

Location and History. This district is in the Sierra
Nevada west gold belt in western El Dorado County.
A belt of lode-gold mines extends from the Pyramid
mine south through Shingle Springs to the vicinity of
Brandon Corner, a distance of 10 miles. The district
was first worked during the gold rush. The town was
settled in 1850; the name derived from "a shingle
machine used at a cluster of springs". There was ex-
tensive mining activity here during the 1930s.

Geology and Ore Deposits. A north-trending belt
of greenstone, green schist, and slate four to six miles
wide, which has been intruded by numerous serpen-
tine bodies, both large and small, extends through the
central part of the district. A granodiorite-gabbro in-
trusion lies to the west. The ore deposits consist chiefly
of large but low-grade bodies of mineralized talcose,
amphibolite-chlorite schist or greenstone with numer-
ous quartz veinlets and stringers. The values occur in
disseminated auriferous pyrite found in both the wall
rock and the quartz veins and stringers. The ore bodies
commonly are found in both the wall rock and the
quartz. Some quartz veins with high-grade pockets
and abundant sulfides exist. Some of the deposits were
mined by open-pit methods.

Mines. Big Canyon $3 million-|-, Brandon, Bug-
town, Crystal |100,000-|-, French Creek, Greenstone,
Marcelias, Pyramid |1 million. Sugar Loaf, Vandalia
$100,0004-. '

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, lode-gold
deposits: California Jour. Mines and Geol., vol. 52, pp. 401-429.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Vandalia and Big Canyon mines: Califor-
nia Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 172-175.

Lindgrcn, Woldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Logan, C. A., 1938, El Dorado County, Big Canyon, Pyramid, and
Vandalia mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 34, pp. 219-223, 244-246,
and 254.

Sierra City

Location. The Sierra City district covers an ex-
tensive area in central Sierra County. It includes the
Furnier, Loganville, Church Meadows, Gold Valley,
and Sierra City-Sierra Buttes areas. It is located at the
south end of the major belt of gold mineralization
that extends north-northwest to the Johnsville district
in Plumas County (fig. 22).

History. This district was placer-mined soon after
the beginning of the gold rush. Many coarse nuggets
were recovered at that time. Sierra City was founded
in 1850; destroyed by an avalanche in 1852, it was
soon rebuilt. Many Indians lived in this district in
those days. The famous roistering society E. Clampus
Vitus originated in Sierra City. It was reorganized
several years ago by the California Historical Society.

The Sierra Buttes mine was opened in 1850, and
most of the other important lode mines soon after-
ward. A number of very rich high-grade surface
pockets were discovered, including one at the Four
Hills mine that yielded between $250,000 and $500,000.
The district was highly productive from about 1870

until 1914. There was some mining activity again dur-
ing the 1920s and 1930s, and intermittent prospecting
and development work has continued unril the present
time. The value of the total output of the district
is unkno\\n, but it is estimated to be at least $30
million.

Geology. A northwest-trending belt of Calaveras
(Carboniferous to Pemiian) slate, schist, and quartzite
with limestone lenses runs through the west portion;
a quartz porphyry (metarhyolite) belt lies in the cen-
tral portion, and greenstone and amphibolite schist, to
the east. A belt of meta-tuff of the Milton Formation
(Jurassic) extends along the east margin. A few ser-
pentine lenses are present. The northeastern area is
overlain by glacial moraines. Tertiary andesite caps
some of the ridges and rhyolite caps some Eocene
auriferous channel gravels.

Ore Deposits. An extensive series of north- to
northwest- and occasionally northeast-trending quartz
veins range from a few feet to as much as 40 feet in
thickness. The veins occur in all of the metamorphic
rocks. The ore bodies contain free gold, pyrite, and
minor galena and chalcopyrite. The ore shoots often
were large (up to 300 feet long and several thousand
feet deep) and usually averaged Vi to Vi ounce of gold
per ton. Much high-grade ore was taken from the
district. Several fairly extensive magnetite deposits are
found in the north end of the district.

Mines. Lode: Buffalo, Butcher Ranch, Butte Saddle
$100,000-t-, Chipps, Cleveland, Colombo $400,000?,
Empire, Four Hills $2 million. Great Northern, Ken-
tuck $100,000-)-, Keystone, Klondyke, Loeffler, Lucky
Bov, Monarch $106,000-|-, Peck,' Primrose, Phoenix
$160,000-f, 1001, Roman, Sacred Mount $100,0004-,
Sebastopol, Sierra Buttes $17 million to $20 million,
Sisson, Sovereign, Wallis, William Tell, Willoughby,
Young America $1.5 million. Placer: Hilda, Ladies
Canyon $500,000, Pride.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1942, Mines and mineral resources of Sierra County:
California Div. Mines Rept. 38, pp. 7-67.

Goldstonc, L. P., 1890, Sierra County: California Min. Bur. Rept. 10,
pp. 642-654.

Irelan, William, 1888, Sierra Buttes mine: California Min. Bur. Rept.
8, pp. 573-577.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierro Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 112-113.

Logan, C. A., 1929, Sierra County, Sierra City district: California
Div. Mines Rept. 25, pp. 155-156.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1919, Sierra County, Sierra City district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 26-28, 119-121.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio: U. S. Geol. Survey, folio
no. 37, 10 pp., 4 maps, 1 pi.

Sierra Nevada Copper Belts
Extending along the foothills of the west slope of
the Sierra Nevada from Butte County on the north
to Fresno County on the south is a discontinuous belt
of copper and zinc mineralization. This belt also has
been the source of substantial amounts of gold. Gold-
bearing gossans in the oxidized zones overlying the
copper-zinc deposits were mined during the gold rush.
Later, during the copper "booms" of the Civil War

California Division of Mines and Geology

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

119

~~-^^ 5?ENGELS

5?SUPERI0R^

5^ WALKER

PLUMAS

""l BIG BEND ^
('

' BUTTE

r N^

SIERRA

y ^

'NEVADA

/ ^1-

-'' ^.X'BO

(yuba / ^'^

\ (X'SPENCEVILLE

' I /placer

SUTTER-' '^"^'-"^JLVE* ^^--
^>/')-J____/ EL DORADO

SACRAMENTOi''^"=°''"'' ""-'-. — -
) lAMADOR.^

? ! ^NEWTON

.^'- \

SAN

— ^PENN

VCALAVERAS/

^ \ ^^north'keystone

OUAIL HILL'i^^^E^^TONE-UNlON
napolEOnAo, f -rrini

TUOLUMNE

STANISLAUS ^>c'X'i-a victoria ^/

^^ \ ^BLUE MOON J

^''^ \MARIPOSA_/

I ^ ^pocahon'tas

y MERCED V ^/"EEN MOUNTAIN

y^ ^sA>buchanan

-^'' A JESSIE BELLEJ

z' ^OAULTON ^-'

/ \ MADERA

SCALE

20 30 40

A ^COPPER KING

FRESNO
COPPER

FRESNO

Figure 23. Map of Copper and Zinc Belts, Sierra Nevada. The foothill copper-zinc belt and the Plumas
County copper belt are shown. The principal mines are marked.

and World Wars I and II, considerable amounts of
gold were recovered as a by-product. During the
1930s a few gossan deposits in this belt were again
mined for gold.

The primary copper and zinc deposits consist of
lenticular sulfide bodies in zones of alteration in
greenstones and various types of schists. The ore
bodies contain abundant pyrite with associated chalco-
pyrite, sphalerite and some gold and silver. Most of
the ore contains only a small fraction of an ounce of
gold per ton, but a few ore bodies have yielded as
much as one ounce of gold per ton. Also present are
galena, bornite, tetrahedrite, covellite, and chalcocite.

The most important mines in the foothill belt have
been the Big Bend mine, Butte County, Spenceville
and Boss mines, Nevada County; Dairy Farm and Val-
ley View mines, Placer County; Copper Hill and
Newton mines, Amador County; Penn, Quail Hill,
Napoleon, Collier, Keystone-Union, and North Key-
stone mines, Calaveras County; Blue Moon, Pocahon-
tas, Green Mountain and La Victoria mines, Mariposa
County; Buchanan, Jessie Belle, and Daulton mines,
Madera County; and Fresno Copper and Copper King
mines, Fresno County.

Considerable by-product gold has been recovered
from copper mines in northeastern Plumas County, the
principal sources having been the Walker, Engels, and

120

California Division of Mines and Geology

Ball. 193

Superior mines. However, few production figures are
available, so the total gold output of these mines is
unknown. In 1931, the Walker mine was the source
of 432,000 tons of copper ore that had an average
gold content of .05 ounces per ton. At the Walker
mine, the ore bodies consist of \\ idc chalcopyrite-bear-
ing quartz veins in schist and hornfels near granitic
rocks. At the Engels and Superior mines, the ore
bodies are bands of chalcop\ rite and bomite in sheared
granitic rocks.

Silver King

Silver King is in southeastern Alpine County near
the headwaters of Silver King Valley about 17 miles
southeast of Markleeville. The area was prospected
during the 1860s with apparently some production, but
little or no mining has been done since. The country
rock consists of slate, schist, and granite which in
places are capped by andesite. A few bodies of schist
contain disseminated pyrite, which in a few places
is gold-bearing. Also there are a few narrow quartz
veins.

Bibliography

Eokle, A. S., 1919, Alpine County, Sliver King district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 26-27.

Irelan, William. Jr., 1888, Silver King district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, p. 39.

Silver Mountain

Location and History. Silver Mountain is in south-
central Alpine County about 10 miles south of Mark-
leeville. Gold and silver were discovered here around
1860, and a rush began soon afterward. Kongsburg,
later known as Silver Mountain City, \\ as established
by Scandinavian miners in 1862. The town grew
rapidly and had a population of nearly 3000 in the fol-
lowing year. It was the first seat of government in
Alpine County.

However, the district was not too productive. Hun-
dreds of claims were located, and vast sums of money
were spent on long tunnels and unsuccessful reduction
works. Many of the mines w ere controlled by the Isa-
bel Mining Company of England. Activity declined
in the 1870s, and by 1886 the town had been aban-
doned. Some of the buildings were moved to Marklee-
ville. The area has been prospected since, but there
has been little recorded production. The total output
of the district is estimated to be about $200,000 worth
of gold and silver.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The gold- and silver-
bearing deposits occur chiefly in altered volcanic rocks.
The deposits consist of veins of silicified breccia con-
taining pyrite, chalcopyrite, and other sulfides. Some
deposits contain a series of parallel veins. The values
usually are erratically distributed, although a few high-
grade pockets were found in the early days. A few-
quartz veins are found in granitic rocks in the western
part of the district.

Mities. Exchequer, Garfield, Isabella, I.X.L., Lady
Franklin, Pennsylvania, Raymond Meadows.

Bibliography

Eokle, A. S., 1919, Alpine County, Silver Mountain district: Collfornia
Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 22-23.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888. Silver Mountain district: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 38-39.

Slate Mountain

A few small lode mines and prospects exist in the
general vicinity of Slate Mountain, which is in north-
central El Dorado County about 10 miles northeast of
Placerville and 10 miles southeast of Georgetown. The
veins are narrow and occur in slate and schist. Years
ago several small but rich surface pockets were re-
covered. There are several tungsten prospects in the
area.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemar, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio:
U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Smartsville

Location. This district is located in w estern Nevada
and eastern Yuba Counties 20 miles east of Marysville
and 15 miles west of Grass Valley. It includes the
Mooney Flat, Sicard Flat and Timbuctoo areas. It is
mainly a placer-mining district.

History. The streams were placer-mined during
the gold rush. The town was named for James Smart,
who built a hotel there in 1856. The area was ex-
tensivel\' hydraulicked from around 1855 to 1877.
Some drift mining also was done during these years
and continued through the early 1900s, but little work
has been done here since. The value of the total out-
put of the district is unknown. In 1877, it was reported
to have been 513 million.

Geology. The main channel of the Tertiary Yuba
River enters the area from the north and goes through
Mooney Flat. It then curves west and northwest
through Smartsville and Timbuctoo and then west to
Sicard Flat. The gravel deposits are extensive and up
to 200 feet thick. The lowest "blue" gravel on bed-
rock was the richest. The average yield during the
major early operations was 37 cents in gold per yard,
but some drifting yielded up to $3 per yard at the
old price of gold. It has been estimated that 46.5
million yards were removed prior to 1891. Bedrock
is greenstone, and in places the gravel is overlain by
andesite.

Bibliography

Hobson, J. B., and Wiltsee, E. A., 1893, SmartivllU mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 11, pp. 314-316.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1895, Smartsville folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, pp. 121-130.

Snelling
Location and History. The Snelling district is in
eastern Merced County along the .Merced River be-
tween the towns of Snelling and Merced Falls. It is
principall>- a dredging field. Some placer mining
and hydraulic mining of the terrace deposits along
the river were practiced during the gold rush. The
town, named in 1851 for Charles Snelling, who oper-
ated a hotel and ranch here, was the governmental seat
of Merced Count)- from 1857 until 1872. Gold dredg-

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

121

ing began in 1907 and continued until 1919. There was
dredging again from 1929 until 1942 and 1946 to 1952.
The value of the total output of the district is un-
known, but the dredges are estimated to have pro-
duced about $17 million.

Geology. The values were recovered from stream
gravels and flood plain and terrace deposits in and
adjacent to the Merced River. The gravels are loose
with very little clay and range from 20 to 35 feet in
depth. The dredged area is about nine miles long and
Vi to \Vi miles wide. Bedrock is slate in the east and
volcanic ash in the west. The gold is fairly fine and
about 890 in fineness. A small amount of platinum is
present. Dredge recoveries ranged from 10 to 30 cents
in gold per yard, with the average close to 10 cents.

Dredging Concerns. Merced Dredging Co., 1934-42
and 1945-49, one dredge; San Joaquin Mining Co.,
1936-42, one dredge; Snelling Gold Dredging Co.,
1932-42 and 1946-52, two dredges; Yosemite Mining &
Dredging Co., 1907-19, one dredge; Yuba Cons. Gold-
fields, 1930-41, two dredges.

Bibliography

Davis, F. F., and Carlson, D. W., 1952, Merced County, gold: Cali-
fornia Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 48, pp. 220-227.

Lowell, F. L., 1916, Merced County, gold: California Min. Bur. Rept.
14, p. 606.

Winston, W. B., 1910, Merced County, dredging: California Min. Bur.
Bull. 57, pp. 211-213.

Sonora

History. This is one of the famous pocket-mining
districts of the Sierra Nevada east gold belt. Sonora,
the seat of Tuolumne County, was founded in 1848
soon after the discoverey of rich placer deposits here
and at Shaws Flat to the north. It was named for the
state of Sonora in Mexico. The placers were extremely
rich; the Sonora placers were credited with an output
of $11 million and those of Shaws Flat yielded $6
million. The famous Holden Chispa nugget, which
weighed over 28 pounds, was taken from within the
city limits of Sonora in Holden's Gardens. In 1879 the
Bonanza mine, also in town, yielded a pocket that
contained $300,000. Later, large amounts of beautifully
crystallized gold with tellurides were recovered from
the Sugarman and Negro mine. Pocket mining con-
tinued almost steadily until World War II, and there
has been some prospecting and development work
since.

Geology. The central part of the Sonora district is
underlain by a belt of crystalline limestone, which ex-
tends south from Columbia. The limestone is asso-
ciated with slate, schist, and quartzite; all are part of
the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to Permian).
To the west is amphibolite and to the east is granodi-
orite.

Ore Deposits. The gold-quartz veins are largely
confined to the slate, schist, and amphibolite. Much of
the output from the lode mines has been from small
but extremely rich pockets. The high-grade ore com-
monly contains crystallized gold, and in a few places

the telluride minerals petzite and sylvanite are present.
The veins, usually only a few feet wide, are often
associated with diorite and aplite dikes. The rich early-
day placer deposits were in deep crevices and potholes
in the limestone.

Mines. Aetna, Bonanza $1.5 million. Eureka, Fair-
view, Gerrvmander, Golden Gate $100,000-|-, Hope
|200,000-f,' Josephine, Lazar $100,000-f, Lewis, Man-
zanita, O'Hara $100,000-|-, Rainbow, San Guiseppe,
Sell, Stockton, Stuart and Morris, Sugarman $1 mil-
lion, Tanzy, Vandeiier.

Bibliography

Eric, J. H., Stromquist, A. A., and Swinney, C. M., 1955, Geology
and mineral deposits of the Angels Comp and Sonora quadrangles:
California Div. Mines Spec. Rept. 41, 55 pp.

Logan, C. A., 1949, Tuolumne County, gold: California Jour. Mines
and Geology, vol. 45, pp. 54-75.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Tuolumne County, gold: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 14, pp. 135-168.

Turner, F. L., and Ransome, F. L., 1897, Sonora folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Soulsbyville

Location. The Soulsbyville district is in west-cen-
tral Tuolumne County in the general vicinity of the
towns of Soulsbyville and Toulumne. It includes the
Arrastraville and Buchanan areas.

History. This district was placer-mined during the
gold rush. Lode mining began in the early 1850s, and
there was a rush to the district that began in 1858
after Ben Soulsby discovered rich ores. The mines
were worked on a major scale until about 1915. There
was some activity during the 1920s and 1930s, and
there has been minor prospecting and development in
a few of the mines since. This has been the most pro-
ductive district in the Sierra Nevada east gold belt,
with a total output value to be at least $20 million.

Geology. Granitic rocks, of which granodiorite
predominates, underlie the west-central portion of the
district (fig. 24). These granitic rocks are intrusive
into slate, schist, phyllite, and quartzite of the Cala-
veras Formation (Carboniferous to Permian). Lime-
stone is to the south and west, and the interstream
ridges to the north are capped by andesite. Numerous
dioritic and aplitic dikes are present, often associated
with gold-quartz veins.

Ore Deposits. A large number of unoriented gold-
quartz veins occur in both the granitic and metamor-
phic rocks, usually ranging from one to five feet in
thickness. The ore bodies are often lenticular in shape
and contain native gold and often abundant sulfides,
especially galena, which is nearly always associated
with the gold. Milling-grade ore usually ranged from
Vi to one ounce of gold per ton, and considerable
high-grade ore has been mined in the district. The
maximum depth of development is 1 500 feet.

Mines. Agua, Caliente, Black Oak $3.5 million.
Black Hawk, Blue Lead, Buchanan $600,000, Car-
lotta, Chickenfeed, Columbus $100,000-[-, Consoli-
dated Eureka, Dead Horse, Draper $1 million, Drei-

122

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

EXPLANATION

l{^ Con
o . fS"^":^ Slate, schist, and quortzite
Limestone

Figure 24. Geologic Map of Soulsb/ville and Confidence Districts, Tuolumne County. The locations of the
mines are shown. After Turner and Ronsome, IS97 and 1898.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

123

Photo 62. Soulsby Mine, Soulsbyville District. This is an early view of the highly productive

o/umne County Museum.

line, in Tuolumne County. Photo courtesy of Tu-

sen, Empire, Fair Maiden, Fair Oaks, Garfield, Gilson
(Piatt & Gilson) $1.25 million, Grizzly $1.5 million,
Hattie Ester, Hunter $300,000, Jigger Bill Brothers,
Junction, Lady Washington, Laura & North Star,
Louisiana, Mammon, New Albany, Ophir, Park and
Mason, Phoenix, Providence $700,000, Prudhomme,
Seminole, Spring Gulch $250,000, Soulsby $5.5 mil-
lion, Starr King $100,000, South United $1.7 mil-
lion. Waif, Wheal RufF, Worcestor.

Bibliography

Goldstone, L. D., 1890, Soulsbyville mining district: California Min.
Bur. Kept. 10, pp. 742-755.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Black Oak and Buchanan mines: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 665-669.

Logan, C. A., 1928, Tuolumne County, gold-quartz mines: California
Div. Mines and Mining Rept. 24, pp. 8-41.

Storms, W. M., 1900, Black Oak mine: California Min. Bur. Bull. 18,
pp. 137-138.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Tuolumne County, lode gold: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 136-166.

Turner, H. W., and Ronsome, F. W., 1897, Sonora folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Turner, H. W., and Ronsome, F. L, 1898, Big Trees folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 51, 8 pp.

Spanish Flat

Location and History. This well-known high-
grade district is in west-central El Dorado County in
the vicinity of the old mining town of Spanish Flat.
It is about 10 miles north of Placerville and 3 miles
northeast of Kelsey. The district was placer-mined
soon after the beginning of the gold rush, and there
has been intermittent mining ever since. Many of the
early-day miners in this area, from South America,
Mexico, and Portugal, were that time collectively
known as "Spanish". The Alhambra mine, the largest
source of gold in the district with a total output of
$1.25 million, was active in the 1930s and 1940s and
yielded much high-grade ore. Other mines in this dis-
trict include the Brust, Shumway, and Timm mines.

Geology. The gold-bearing veins in this district are
in a northwest-trending belt or zone about two miles
east of the Mother Lode belt (see fig.- 5). The de-
posits consist of northwest-striking quatrz veins with
numerous parallel stringers that occur in shear zones

124

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 63.
of the mine,

Alhambra Mine, Spanish fiat C-utrid. Iliis \i-iil view
in El Dorado County, looks west. At about the time

the phoio woi token, miners discovered an ore pocket that held
$550,000 in gold. Photo by Otaf P. Jenkins.

w ith gouge. Country rock is amphibolite, chlorite, and
graphite-quartz schist and slate. The ore shoots are not
usually too extensive, but some have been extremely
rich. A high-grade pocket discovered in the Alhambra
mine in 1939 yielded $550,000. This pocket was a mass
of native gold in quartz nearly 5 feet wide. The great-
est depth of development is about 500 feet.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Carlson, D. W., 1956, El Dorado County, lode
gold: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 52, pp. 401-429.

Lindgren, Waldemar, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio,
California: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Logon, C. A., 1938, El Dorado County, gold: California Div. Mines
Rept. 34, pp. 215-272.

Spring Garden

A number of small lode mines and prospects occur
in the general area of Spring Garden and Argentine
Rock in south-central Plumas County. A patch of
Tertiary auriferous gravel was mined by hydraulick-
ing years ago and the area has been intermittently
prospected in recent years. The country rock is green-
stone, slate, and quartzite that is overlain to the south
by andesite.

Bibliography

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Sweet Oil

The Sweet Oil "diggings" in southwestern Plumas
County about eight miles north of La Porte were
mined by hydraulicking years ago. The gravel de-
posits are believed to be located on a branch of the
Tertiary La Porte channel. Bedrock is slate, and to the
south the gravels are capped by andesite and basalt.

Bibliography

Turner, H. W., 1898, Bidwell Bar folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

Sycamore Flat

Location. Sycamore Flat is in east-central Fresno
County just north of Piedra and about 25 miles due
east of Fresno. It also is known as the Hughes Creek
district. Superficial placer mining was done here dur-
ing the gold rush, and the lode mines were active
from the 1880s until about 1915. There has been minor
prospecting since then.

Geology. The area is underlain by schist on the
west, gabbro in the central portion, and granite in
the east. There are a number of aplite dikes. Several
narrow north-trending quartz veins with gentle to
steep dips contain free gold and varying amounts of
pyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena. A few high-grade
pockets have been found here. One of the veins was
mined to a depth of 300 feet.

Mines. Eliza Jane $100,000-|-, Independence, Sun-
nyside.

Bibliography

Brodley, W. W., 1916, Fresno County, Eliza Jane ond Sunnyside gold
mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 444-445, 449-451.

Irelan, Wm., Jr., 1888, Sycamore mining district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 206-207.

Tahoe

Location. This district is in eastern Placer County
west of and north of Lake Tahoe. It includes the areas
known as the Squaw Valley and Red, White, and
Blue or Elizabethtown districts north of the lake and
a few scattered lode-gold mines and prospects west
of the lake.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

125

History. Gold and silver were discovered north of
Lake Tahoe in 1861 and soon brought many miners
to the area. Settlements known as Elizabethtown and
Neptune Qty were established a few miles northwest
of what is now Kings Beach, and Claraville and Knox-
ville were founded near the mouth of Squaw Creek.
All of the prospects and these settlements were aban-
doned after 1864. In 1932 gold was discovered at the
Tahoe Treasure mine a few miles west of Chambers
Lodge. This mine has been worked intermittently
since.

Geology and Ore Deposits. North of the lake lie
massive andesite flows with andesitic tuffs and brec-
cias. In places, zones of bleaching and silicification
with impregnation of disseminated pyrite contain
traces of gold and silver. West of the lake a few nar-
row gold-quartz veins occur in granodiorite and py-
ritic bodies in hornfels and schist.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1897, Truckee folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlos of the U. S., folio 39, 8 pp.

Logon, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, Tahoe Treasure
mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 37-38.

Taylorsville

Location. This district is part of the Crescent
Mills-Taylorsville-Genesee gold belt of east-central
Plumas Count>^ It has not been as productive as the
other two districts in this belt. The general region
was first mined during the gold rush, and there has
been intermittent prospecting and development work
ever since. It was named for J. T. Taylor, who built
a mill and hotel there in 1852.

Geology. The Taylorsville area is underlain by a
series of northwest-trending belts of Paleozoic and
Mesozoic metamorphic rocks, serpentine, and grano-
diorite. The gold-bearing quartz veins are narrow and
strike in a northwest direction. The veins usually oc-
cur in and near the granodiorite. The ore contains
free gold and varying amounts of pyrite and chalco-
pyrite.

Alines. Buster, California, Deadman, Iron Dike,
King Solomon (placer), Pettinger, Premium $180,000.

Bibliography

Averill, C. v., 1937, Plumas County, gold: California Div. Mines
Rept. 33, pp. 103-124.

Diller, J. S., 1908, Geology of the Taylorsville region, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 353, 128 pp.

Diller, J. S., 1909, Mineral resources of the Indian Valley region:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 260, pp. 45-49.

MacBoyle, Errol, 1920, Plumas County, Taylorsville mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 49-52.

Tehachapi

Gold has been recovered from the Tehachapi Moun-
tains a few miles south of the town of that name in
south-central Kern County. Most of it came from
the Pine Tree mine, which was' active from 1876 to
1907 and had a reported total production of $250,000.
The gold occurs in faulted and sheared quartz veins
in granitic rocks. Scheelite also occurs locally in the
quartz veins.

Bibliography

Troxel, B. W., and Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, Tehachapi
district: California Div. Mines and Geology County Rept. 1, p. 52.

Temperance Flat

Location. Temperance Flat is in northeastern
Fresno County on the south side of Millerton Lake.
It is 10 miles northeast of Friant and about 25 miles
northeast of Fresno. The area was placer-mined in the
early days. Lode mining began at the Sullivan mine
in 1853 and continued intermittently until about 1915.
The area was prospected again during the 1930s.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The chief rock types
are coarse-grained granite and granodiorite with dio-
rite inclusions. Portions of the area are capped by thick
flat beds of basalt of Table Mountain. A number of
north-trending quartz veins, in shear zones in granidc
rock, contain free gold and often abundant pyrite.
Small amounts of other sulfides are present. A few
small high-grade pockets containing, leaf gold have
been found here.

Mines. Henrietta, Keno, Quien Sabe, Providence,
Rattlesnake, San Joaquin, Sullivan $100,000, Temper-
ance, White Mule.

Bibliography

Bradley, W. W., 1916, Fresno County, John L. mine: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14, p. 446.

Crowford, J. J., 1896, Inyo, Keno, and Temperance mines: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 13, pp. 167-170.

Irelan, Wm., Jr., 1888, Temperance Flat mining district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 214-215.

Tioga

Location. This district is at the crest of the Sierra
Nevada in the vicinity of the Tioga Pass in eastern
Tuolumne and western Mono Counties.

History. Gold-bearing outcrops were discovered
here as early as 1860, and the area was intermittently
prospected during the next 20 years. A boom was on
from 1880 to 1884 when the Great Sierra Consolidated
Silver Company was driving the Great Sierra tunnel.
During that time the towns of Dana City and Bennet-
ville existed, and the Tioga Road (now State Highway
120) was built, extending nearly 100 miles west to
Groveland. The company failed in 1884. The tunnel
was extended in 1933-34 to the projected extension of
the ore body, but no values were encountered. His-
torically this is an interesting area, but it is doubtful
if the district has yielded more than a few thousand
dollars. The only property that has had any develop-
ment is the Great Sierra mine, where more than $300,-
000 was expended. Nearly 350 claims were located in
the district.

Geology. A number of narrow to thick northwest-
striking quartz veins and mineralized metamorphic
rocks contain pyrite, which is abundant in places.
Traces of gold and silver are present. If there was any
production, it probably came from oxidized surface
material.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1962, Mines neor Yosemite: California Div. Mines
and Geology Mineral Information Service, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 1-4.

126

GU.IFORNIA Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

DeGrool, Hanry, 1S90, Tiogo diitrict: California Min. Bur. Rapt. 10,
pp. 342-343.

Hubbard, Douglau, 1958, Ghoit min»t of Yoiemil*, Awani Pr»u,
Fraino, Colifornio, 40 pp.

Sampson, R. J., ond Tuclter, W. B., 1940, Mono County, Tiogo min«:
California Div. Min« R«pl. 36, p. 139.

Whiting, H. A., 1888, Tiogo diltrict: Colif. Min. Bur. Repl. 8, pp.
371-373.

Tuttletown

Location. This district is in the Mother Lode belt
in northwestern Tuolumne County. The Carson Hill
district lies to the north and the Jamestown-Rawhide
district to the south. It includes the Jackass Hill and
French Gulch areas.

History. The streams and rich surface placers were
w orked during the gold rush. The area was known as
Mormon Gulch in 1848 but was renamed for Judge
Anson H. Turtle, who built the first log cabin there.
The Gillis brothers came here from Virginia City and
it v\as in their cabin that Mark Twain stayed for fi%'e
months in 1864-65 and Bret Harte for a night. A rep-
lica of the Gillis cabin is now a tourist attraction. This
area became a well-known pocket-mining district dur-
ing the 1860s and was mined almost continuously until
World War II. Some work has been done at the Gross
and Street mine since then.

Geology and Ore Deposits. A northwest-trending
belt of amphibolite traverses the central portion of the
district. Phyllite and slate are to both the northeast
and southwest and serpentine lies to the south. Al-
though this district lies between the Carson Hill and
Jamestown districts, where large ore bodies were
mined, most of the output here has been from small,
rich pockets. These pockets occur in quartz veins and
stringers and contain native gold, abundant pyrite,
galena, and tellurides. The country rock adjacent to
the veins commonly contains disseminated pyrite and
ankerite.

Mines. Albion Cons., Alta, Anti-Chinese, Arbona,
Ball, Bown, Cardinelle, Chileno, Gagnere, Gross and
Street, Marryatt, Norwegian $200,0004-, Patterson,
Tarantula, Toledo.

Bibliography

Eric, J. H., Stromquist, A. A., ond Swinney, C. M., 1955, Geology
and mineral deposits of the Angels Camp and Sonora quodrongles:
Colifornio Div. Mines Spec. Rept. 41, 55 pp.

logon, C. A., 1949, Tuolumne County, Gross and street mines: Cali-
fornia Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 45, pp. 66-67.

Nolan, T. B., 1929, Norwegian and Chileno mines: U. S. Geol. Survey
Prof. Paper 157, pp. 77-78.

Ronsome, F. I., 1900, Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Turner, H. W., and Ransome, F. L., 1897, Sonora folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Vallecito

Location. Vallecito is in south-central Calaveras
County about five miles east of Angels Camp and five
miles south of Murphys. It a placer-mining district and
includes the Douglas Flat and Dead Horse Flat areas.

History. Daniel and John Murphy found gold here
in 1848, and the district was first known as Murphys'
Old Diggins. The name was changed to Vallecito in

1854. The hydraulic mines were active from the late
1850s through the 1880s. Drift mining was done at this
time and again during the 1930s, when the Vallecito
Western drift mine was operated on a fairly large
scale. Dragline dredging was active in the district dur-
ing the 1930s.

Geology. The Tertiary Central Hill channel enters
the district from the north from Murphys and then
extends west toward Altaville and Angels Camp. Here
the channel is joined by two small tributaries from the
east and south, the one from the east known as the
Murphy's Gulch channel. Farther east is the south-
trending Cataract channel. The gravels, consisting of
granitic material and quartz, were richest near bed-
rock. The gold was fairly coarse. The gravels are over-
lain in places by rhyolite and andesite and also by some
Pleistocene gravels. Bedrock is limestone, schist, slate,
and amphibolite, and to the west there is granodiorite.

Bibliography

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Coloveros County, gold: Coli.
fornio Div. Mines and Geology County Rept. 2, pp. 32-93.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiory gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 199-201.

logon, C. A., and Fronke, H., 1936, Coloveros County, Vollecito-
Western mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 353-355.

Steffo, Donald, 1932, Gold mining and milling methods and costs at
the Vallecito Western drift mine: U. S. Bur. Mines Inf. Circ. 6612,
13 pp.

Storms, W. H., 1894, Ancient channel system of Coloveros County;
Colifornio Min. Bur. Rept. 12, pp. 482-492.

Turner, H. W., and Ransome, F. I., 1898, Big Trees folio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Alios of the U. S., folio 51, 8 pp.

Volcano

Location. This district, in north-central Amador
County, is in the vicinity of the old mining town of
Volcano, 15 miles northeast of Jackson.

History. The creeks were first mined during the
gold rush, and the town was settled by soldiers from
Stevenson's 1st New York Volunteer Regiment. The
town received its name in 1850, as it was believed then
that the limestone caves were related to a volcano.
During the 1850s this was one of the richer placer-
mining districts in the state. Since the 1930s there has
been a small output from dragline dredging in some
of the creeks, and some of the channel gravels have
been prospected in recent years. Many of the build-
ings in the old town are well-preser\'ed, and the towtt
is now a well-known tourist attraction.

Geology. The central portion of the district is
underlain by crystalline limestone of the Calaveras
Formation (Carboniferous to Permian), which has
many potholes and crevices that contained much rich
gravel. The rest of the area is underlain by graphitic
slate and schist. To the north and east several deposits
of early Tertiary quartz-rich gravels were mined by
hydraulicking and drifting. Those to the north are
parts of the deposits of the ancestral Cosumnes River
that extended west through the area and west-north-
west towards the Fiddletown district. In places the
gravels are capped by andesite. A few narrow gold-
quartz veins are found in the district.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

127

Photo 64. Early Placer Mining, Voica

Bibliography

Carlson, D. W., and Clark, W. B., 1954, Amador County, placer
gold: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 50, pp. 197-200.

Haley, C. S., 1923, Gold placers of California: California Min. Bur.
Bull. 92, pp. 146-147.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 199.

Volcanoville

Location. The Volcanoville district is in north-
central El Dorado County and south-central Placer
County, about eight miles northeast of Georgetown
and 30 miles east of Auburn. It includes the Kentucky
Flat area. It is both a lode- and placer-mining district.

Geology and Ore Deposits. A number of patches
of andesite-capped Tertiary gravel were deposited by
a channel that extended north through Kentucky Flat
and then west through Volcanoville. An older well-
cemented "white" channel contains much quartz
gravel; there is a younger channel. The gold is coarse.
Several gold-quartz veins in schist and slate, near or
adjacent to a belt of serpentine, crop out in the west
portion of the district. Some of the quartz veins have
yielded high-grade pockets and well-developed quartz
crystals.

Mines. Placer: Bedrock, Buckeye Point, Kenna,
Kenny, Kentucky Flat, Morris, Tiedeman. Lode:
Boedner, Bootjack, Green, Josephine, Paymaster.

128

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Bihliogr<iphy

Clark, W. B., and Corlion, D. W., 1956, El Dcrodo County, ploc«r
gold daposili: California Jour. Minoi ond Geology, vol. 52, pp.
429-435.

Irelon, William, Jr., 1888, The Joiephine mine: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 1&5-166.

lindgren, Woldemar and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio: U. S.
Geol. Survey Geol. Alias of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevodo:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 168-169.

Tucker, W. B., 1919, El Dorodo County, placer mines: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 300-303.

Washington

Location. This district is in east-central Nevada
County in the vicinity of the old mining town of
Washington, 18 miles northeast of Nevada City. It is
in the south end of the Goodyear's Bar-Alleghany belt
and includes the "diggings" at Alpha and Omega.

History. The Washington district was first mined
during the gold rush, and the placers of the Middle
Yuba River were highly productive. The Omega and
Alpha hydraulic mines were opened in the middle
1850s and worked on a major scale through the 1880s.
Later, Chinese miners reworked the tailings. Lode min-
ing also began in the 1850s and continued steadily
until about 1915. There was activity in the district
again during the 1930s, and the Red Ledge mine has
been worked in recent years. Barite, chromite, and
asbestos also have been mined here.

Geology. The district is underlain chiefly by slate,
schist and quartzite of the Blue Canyon JFormation
(Carboniferous). A serpentine body one to two miles
wide crops out in the central portion. The Relief
Quartzite (Carboniferous) and amphibolite lie to the
west and granodiorite to the east. The serpentine is a
south extension of a belt that passes north-northwest

through Alleghany and Goodyear's Bar in Sierra
County. Tertiary andesite overlies the main ridges to
the north and south.

Ore Deposits. The auriferous Tertiary channel
gravels at Alpha and Omega are part of the main
channel that extends west and north to Relief and
North Bloomfield. Jarmin (1927) estimated that, at
Omega, 1 3 million yards were mined and yielded 1 3 Yi
cents in gold per yard. Lindgren (1911) estimated that
40 million yards remained. The quartz veins contain
small but rich ore bodies, similar to those of the Alle-
ghany district to the north, but are not as plentiful.
Except for arsenopyrite, sulfides are not usually
abundant. A number of beautiful specimens of crys-
tallized gold have been found in the Red Ledge mine.
The Spanish mine also has yielded large amounts of
barite.

Mines. Lode: Giant King, Mexican Cons., Mount
Hope, Red Ledge, Red Paint, St. Patrick, Spanish,
Treasure Box. Placer: Alpha $2 million-|-. Centennial,
Omega, Phelps, Yuba River.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1946, Placer mining for gold in California, Omega
mine: Colifornio Div. Mines Bull. 136, pp. 265-266.

Hobson, J. B., 1890, Washington mining district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 10, pp. 389-392.

Irelon, William, Jr., 1888, Washington mining district: Colifornio
Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 435-444.

Jarmon, Arthur, 1927, Washington and Omega hydraulic mines:
Colifornia Min. Bur. Rept. 23, pp. 112-115.

Lindgren, Woldemar, 1900, Colfax folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, pp. 139-141.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevada County, Washington mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 59-63.

Photo 65. Belden Mine, West Point District. This 1952 vievr of the mine, in Amador County, looks norttieast. The mine was

active in the 1930s.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

129

A Lode gold mine

Figure 25. Geologic Mop of West Point and Railroad Flat Districts, Calaveras County. The lode-gold
mines ore marked. After Cor/son ond Clark, 1954, and Clark and iydon, 1962.

West Point

Location. This extensive Sierra Nevada east gold
belt district is in eastern Amador and Calaveras Coun-
ties in the general area of the town of West Point.
It includes the Skull Flat, Glencoe, Bummerville, Pio-
neer Station, and Buckhorn areas.

History. The town was first known as Indian
Gulch but was renamed West Point after a geographic
feature discovered by Kit Carson while he was en-
route to Sutter's Fort in 1844. The streams and surface
ores were mined extensively during the 1850s, when
large amounts of gold were recovered. During the
1860s and 1870s many lode mines and 10 or more

custom mills were active, but there was much diffi-
culty Avith sulfides. Some activity was noted from the
1880s until 1914 and again during the 1920s and 1930s.
Several mines have been intermittently worked since
World War II, the chief operations having been at the
Belden, Blackstone, and Centennial mines. This is one
of the more productive districts of the east gold belt,
and an extremely large number of mines exist.

Geology. The gold deposits are associated with a
west-elongated body of granodiorite five miles wide
and 15 miles long (see figs. 4 and 25) that has intruded
graphitic slates, quartzites, and schists of the Calaveras
Formation (Carboniferous to Permian).

130

California Division of Mines and Gf.ology

Bull. 193

Ore Deposits. Numerous north-trending and west-
dipping (a few dip east) quartz veins arc found in the
granodioritc or in the adjacent mctamorphic rocl<s.
The veins usuall>- are one to five feet thick, have per-
sistent strikes, and belong to one of three main vein
systems that have not been mapped. Narrow diorite,
quartz-diorite, and apiilite dikes commonly are associ-
ated with the veins. The ore bodies contain free gold
and abundant sulfides, especially galena, which is
nearly always associated with high-^rade ore. The ore
shoots usually have horizontal stoping lengths of 150
feet or less, but several were 300 to 400 feet long. Mill-
ing-grade ore commonly averages one ounce or more
in gold per ton, and much high-grade ore has been
recovered. Few of the mines have been developed to
depths of more than a few hundred feet. It has been
estimated that there are more than 500 mine shafts in
the district.

Mines. Amador County: Amador-Columbus, Bel-
den $400,000-f. Black Prince $100,000+, Defender
$100,000-}-, Elkhorn, Hageman, Jumbo, Lone Willow
$100,000-1-, Newman $160,000-f , Pine Grove, Pioneer-
Luckv Strike $300,000+, T.N.T. Calaveras Countv:
Austrian, Billy Williams, Backstone $200,000, Blazing
Star, Buena Vista, Carlton, Centennial, Champion
$500,000, Chino, Continental $100,000+, Corn Meal,
Cross, Etna, Ever Ready, Fidelity, Garibaldi, Gilded
Age, Glencoe, Golden Rule, Gold Star, Good Hope,
Keltz $300,000+, Lockwood $400,000+, Lone Star,
Marquis, Mina Rica, Monte Cristo, North Star, Old
Henry, Rindge No. 1, 2, and 3, Riverside, San Bruno,
San Pedro, Scorpian, Soap Root, Star of the West,
Swallow, Water Lily, Wide West, Woodhouse $100,-
000+, Yellow Aster $100,000+.

Bibliography

Browne, J. Ross, 1868, Reports upon the minerol resources of the
United Slotes: Government Printing Office, Washington (D.C.) (West
Point mines), pp. 6S~67.

Carlson, D. W., ond Clark, W. B., 1954, Amador County, Belden
and Black Prince mines: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 50,
pp. 170-172.

Clark, W. B., and Lydon, P. A., 1962, Calaveras County, gold:
California Div. Mines and Geology County Rept. 2, pp. 32-93.

Logan, C. A., 1923, Notes on the West Point district: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 18, pp. 15-21.

Raymond, Rossiter W., 1875, Statistics on mines and mining in the
slotes and territories west of the Rocky Mountains: Government Printing
Office, Woshlngton (D.C.) (West Point mines), pp. 63-66.

Tucker, W. B., 1916, Caloveros County, lockwood. Lone Stor, and
Stor of the West mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 90-92 and
107.

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Turner, H. W., and Ransome, F. L., 1898, Big Trees folio, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 51, 8 pp.

Westville

Location. This placer-mining district is in eastern
Placer County about 17 miles northeast of Forest Hill
and 10 miles due south of Emigrant Gap. It adjoins the
Damascus district on the west and the Canada Hill
district on the east. The district includes the Macedon
Ridge, Whiskey Hill, and Secret Canyon areas.

Geology. The placer deposits lie along a Tertiary
intervolcanic channel of the American River, known

as the Red Point channel, which extends southwest
into the Damascus district. A tributary known as the
Whiskey Hill or Black Canyon channel joins the Red
Point channel at Westville. This tributary is narrow,
steep, and contains coarse gold. The gravels are capped
by andesite, and bedrock is quartz-bearing schist and
slate. Much of the development in this district has been
drift mining.

.Mines. Golden Fleece, Greek, Green, Hogsback,
Herman, Hungry Hollow, Macedon, Osborne, Union.

Bibliography

lindgren, Waldemor, 1900, Colfox folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Waldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevoda:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, pp. 156-157.

Logon, C. A., 1936, Gold mines of Placer County, placer mines:
California Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 49-96.

West Walker

This is a small district on the east flank of the
Sierra Nevada in northern Mono County a few miles
southwest of Coleville. The principal sources of gold
have been the Al Mono and Golden Gate mines,
which were active in the late 1890s and early 1900s.
The deposits consist of quartz stringers containing na-
tive gold and sulfides or massive sulfide bodies contain-
ing disseminated gold. Some narrow kaolinized gold-
bearing seams are found. Country rock consists of
schist, slate, greenstone, and quartzite. Copper, lead,
zinc, and cadmium also occur here.

Bibliography

Eakle, A. S., and McLaughlin, R. P., 1919, Mono County, gold:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 139-142 and 165.

Wheatland

This is a small placer-mining district in the vicinity
of the town of Wheatland on the lower Bear River in
western Placer and southern Yuba Counties. During
the gold rush placer gold was recovered from the
creeks and streams. During the 1930s gold was recov-
ered from the gossan by cyanidation at the Dairy Farm
copper mine a few miles to the east and by dragline
dredging in some of the ravines.

Bibliography

Lindgren, Waldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1895, Smartsville folio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

White Oak Flat
White Oak Flat is in north-central Amador Count>-
about 10 miles northeast of Volcano. Several moder-
ate-sized deposits of Tertiary channel gravels were
mined \ears ago. There are several gold-quartz de-
posits including the .Marklee mine, which was pros-
pected recently. Bedrock consists of slate, chert, and
quartzite. In places the gravels are overlain by ande-
site and rhyolite.

Bibliography

Turner, H. W., 1894, Jackson folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of
the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

1970

Gold Districts — Sierra Nevada

131

White River

Locatio?! and History. White River is in southern
Tulare County and northern Kern County approxi-
mately 25 miles southeast of Porterville. Gold was
discovered here in 1853. The town was originally
known as Tailholt, but the name was changed to
White River in 1870. Mining continued until around
1906, and there has been minor activity since. The
district was estimated to have yielded a total of
$750,000 worth of gold by 1914.

Geology. The area is underlain by granodiorite
and smaller outcrops of more basic intrusives. Small
amounts of schist and slate and a few limestone lenses
lie to the west. A series of west-northwest-trending
parallel quartz veins occur in shear zones in the grano-
diorite. The ore contains free gold and small amounts
of pyrite.

Mines. Bald Mountain (several hundred thousand
dollars). Eclipse No. 2, Josephine, Last Chance, Stencil.

Bibliography

ng district:

Laizure, C. McK., 1923, Tulore County, White River
Californio Min. Bur. Rept. 18, pp. 524-527.

Tucker, W. B., 1919, Tulare County, White River mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 912-915.

Whitlock

Location. The Whitlock district is in west-central
Mariposa County five miles north of the town of
Mariposa. The district is east of the Mother Lode gold
belt and includes the Colorado, Sherlock Creek, and
Whiskey Flat areas. The area was placer-mined soon
after the beginning of the gold rush, and lode mining
began shortly afterward. A number of mines were
active here during the 1930s, and a few, such as the
Diltz and Schroeder mines, have been intermittently
prospected in recent years.

Geology. Greenstone and green schist underlie
much of the district, with some slate, phyllite, and
mica schist in the north portion. Granitic intrusives
and serpentine are to the south. There is an appreci-
able number of diorite, quartz-diorite, and aplite dikes
that commonly are associated with the gold-quartz
veins. A northwest-trending fault extends along the
west side of the district (see fig. 18).

Ore Deposits. Numerous north- and northwest-
striking quartz veins contain small but rich ore shoots.
The veins usually are one to five feet thick, and a
number dip at low angles. The veins have a tendency
to roll or bend, and it is in these bends or rolls that
the high-grade pockets often occur. Much specimen
ore has been produced in the district; in 1932 the Diltz
mine yielded 52- and 40-pound masses of gold and
quartz. The greatest depth of development is about
900 feet.

Mines. Buffalo, Champion, Colorado $50,000, Diltz
$750,000 to $1 million, Geary, Golden Key $154,000-|-,
King Solomon, Landrum, Nutmeg $180,000+, Our
Chance, Permit, Schroeder $200,000 to $300,000,
Spread Eagle $425,000, Whitlock $500,000.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1957, Mariposa County, lode mines: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 53, pp. 69-187.

Casteilo, W. O., 1921, Colorado district — Colorodo, Dilti, Schroeder,
and Whitlocli mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 93, 111, 113,
137 and 142.

lowell, F. I., 1916, Mariposa County, Colorado, Diltz, and Whitlock
mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 579, 581, and 599-600.

Ronsome, G. L, 1900, Mother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Yankee Hill

Location. This district is in east-central Butte
County about 15 miles northeast of Oroville. It is fairly
extensive and includes the Concow and Big Bend areas.

History. The streams and surface placers were first
worked during the gold rush. For a time the locality
was known as Rich Gulch and Spanishtown. In those
days much gold was recovered from the North Fork
of the Feather River, and a diversion tunnel was driven
through Big Bend. Numerous Chinese miners re-
worked the old placer tailings later on. Lode mining
began in the 1850s, and there was much activity' dur-
ing the 1890s and early 1900s. The Surcease mine was
worked on a major scale from 1933 to 1942, and cop-
per was mined at the nearby Big Bend mine during
World War II. The estimated output of the district
is slightly more than 100,000 ounces of gold.

Geology. A northwest-trending belt of slate and
quartzite four to five miles wide, with some limestone
that is part of the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous
to Permian), crops out in the central part of the
district. Interbeds of amphibolite and serpentine lie to
the north. Granodiorite stocks are to the east and
southeast.

Ore Deposits. A number of quartz veins contain
some free gold and often abundant sulfides, especially
chalcopyrite. The veins are in the metamorphic rocks.
Milling ore commonly averages Vi ounce of gold per
ton, much of the values being in the sulfides. The
Surcease vein has been mined to a depth of more than
1000 feet. A gold-bearing barite vein occurs at the
Pinkston mine.

Mines. Berry Creek, Bunker Hill, Evening Star,
Hearst, Madre de Oro, Pinkston, Porter, Rainbow,
Sunbeam, Surcease $1 million+. Treasure Hill.

Bibliography

Logon, C. A., 1930, Butte County, gold quartz mines: California
Div. Mines Rept. 26, pp. 369-383.

Miner, J. A., 1890, Butte County, quartz mines and mills: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 125-133.

O'Brien, J. C, 1949, Butte County, gold: California Jour. Mines
and Geology, vol. 45, pp. 426-433.

Turner, H. W., 1898, BIdwell Bar folio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol.
Atlas of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

You Bet

Location and History. You Bet and Red Dog are
in south-central Nevada Count>', eight miles southeast
of Nevada City. This district also includes the "dig-
gings" at Little York. You Bet sometimes is known as
Chalk Bluffs. The region was first placer-mined in
1848 or 1849. The name "You Bet" is supposed to have

132

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

originated in 1857 from saloon keeper Lazarus Beard's
favorite expression. Red Dog was named by Charley
Wilson after his former home, Red Dog Hill, Illinois.
The district was h\draulickcd on a large scale from
1S55 until the 1880s. There was some drift mining.
Later, the area was mined on a moderate scale, chiefly
by Chinese. It was intcrmittentl\' active until about
1935. The total ouput is valued at more than $3 mil-
lion. Lindgren (1911) estimated 47 million \ards were
removed and 100 million remained. Jarman (1927)
estimated 20 million yards of 10- to 15-cent gravel
remained at Red Dog.

Geology. The gravels were deposited by a Tcrti-
ar\- channel of the Yuba River that extended north
and northwest to Hunts Hill and Scotts Flat. The
lower gravels are 30 to 40 feet thick, well-ccmcnted.

and contain a high percentage of quartz including a
number of large boulders. It is capped by as much as
350 feet of fine gravel with some interstratified clay
and sand. Bedrock consists of slate and some chert.

Rihliography

Averill, C. A., 1946, Placer mining for gold in Californio, You Bel
mines: Colifornio Div. Mines Bull. 135, pp. 269-270.

Hobson, J. B., and Wiltsee, E. A., 1892, You Bet mining district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 11, pp. 317-318.

Jarman, Arthur, 1927, You Bet district: Colifornio Min. Bur. Rept.
23, pp. 99-100.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1900, CoKox folio, California: U. S. Geol. Sur-
vey Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, Tertiary gravels of the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 73, p. 144.

MocBoyle, Errol, 1919, Nevado County, You Bet mining district: Coli-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 16, pp. 63-66.

KLAMATH MOUNTAINS PROVINCE

The Klamath Mountains region in northwestern
California is the second-most gold-productive province
in California. The principal gold districts are in Shasta,
Siski\ou, and Trinity Counties. Although there are
several important lode-gold districts, the placer de-
posits have been the largest sources of gold. The Klam-
ath Mountains consist of a number of complex and
rugged ranges that continue north into Oregon. The
entire mountain mass is essentially an irregular and
deeply dissected uplifted plateau. It is underlain by a
series of complexly folded and faulted metamorphic
rocks of Paleozoic and Mesozoic age that have been
invaded by batholiths of Late Jurassic and possibly
Early Cretaceous age. In some respects the Klamath
Mountains resemble the Sierra Nevada, and sometimes
the two mountain ranges are classified as a single
mctallogenetic province.

The major rock units of the Klamath Mountains in-
clude the Abrams Schist and Salmon Schist (pre-Si-
lurian?); the Copley Greenstone, Balaklala Rhyolite
and Kennett Shale (Devonian); slate of the Bragdon
Formation (Mississippian), and the younger granitic
rocks of the Shasta Bally batholith. On the west side
of the province are extensive beds of sandstone, shale,
and conglomerate of Jurassic age, and ultramafic rocks
that are in part .serpentinized. Between these two rock
sequences lie beds of phyllitc, chert, limestone and
metavolcanic rocks of Paleozoic and Triassic age. The
batholiths arc composed chiefly of granodiorite or
quartz diorite and are either round or elongated in a
northerly direction. The largest ones are the Wooley
Creek, Ironside Mountain, and Sha.sta Bally batholiths.

The most productive placer deposits in the Klamath
Mountains have been those associated with the Klam-
ath and Trinity Rivers and their tributaries. Gold is
found not only in the gravels in the present stream
channels, but also in older terrace and bench deposits
adjacent to the channels. The terrace and bench de-
posits often were mined by hydraulicking.

Rising in southern Oregon, the Klamath River flows
west acro.ss the Klamath Mountains and empties into
the Pacific Ocean. The most important tributary'
streams of the Klamath River are the Shasta, Scott,
and Salmon Rivers, and Cottonwood, Horse, Seiad,
Thompson, Indian, Clear, Dillon, and Camp Creeks.
Important centers of placer mining in the Klamath
River system have been at Hornbrook, Yreka, Scott
Bar, Hamburg, Somesbar, Orleans, Sawyers, Forks of
Salmon, Callahan, and Cecilville.

The Trinity River, which flows into the Klamath
River at Weitchpec, drains the southern portion of the
Klamath Mountains. The most productive placer de-
posits of the Trinity River are those located along its
main channel. These include the deposits at Carrville,
Trinity Center, Minersville, Lewiston, Weaverville,
Junction City, and Salyer. The principal tributaries of
the Trinity River are Coffee Creek, Stewart's Fork,
East Fork, New River, Indian Creek and Hayfork
Creek. The La Grange mine, a few miles west of
Weaverville, was one of the largest hydraulic mines
in California. Other sources of placer gold in the Klam-
ath Mountains have been the Smith River region in
Del Norte County- and the upper Sacramento River
and its tributaries, w hich include Backbone, Clear, Cot-
tonwood, and Beegum Creeks.

Lode-gold deposits are found throughout the Klam-
ath Mountains. The most productive district has been
the French Gulch-Deadw ood district of Shasta and
Trinity Counties, in the southern portion of the prov-
ince. Other important sources of lode gold have been
the Deadwood district of Siskiyou Count\' (there are
several Deadwood districts in California), Dillon
Creek, Callahan, Oro Fino, Liberty , Saw \ers Bar, Har-
rison Gulch, Whiskeytown, and Buckeye-Old Dig-
gings districts. Considerable amounts of gold have been
produced in the Shasta copper-zinc belt and lesser
amounts in other copper deposits, such as the Copper
Bluff mine at Hoopa.

1970

Gold Districts — Klamath Mountains

133

Photo 66. Bully Choop Mine, Bully Choop District. This
about 1900, shows the SO-stamp mill and tramway at the

Trinity County. The stacked cordwood (foreground and right) fueled
the steam-driven machinery. Photo courtesy of Adele Kiess/ing.

The gold nearly always occurs in native form in
quartz veins, usually associated with pyrite and smaller
amounts of other sulfides. The veins occur in all meta-
morphic rocks of Jurassic and older ages, the Brag-
don Formation (Mississippian) containing the most
numerous and productive veins. A few lode-gold de-
posits are found in granitic rocks. Undoubtedly the
introduction of the veins is related to the granitic in-
trusions. Often the gold-quartz veins and the ore shoots
in the veins are associated with fine- to medium-
grained diorite, quartz diorite, and aplite dikes. In sev-
eral districts these dikes are known locally as "birdseye
porphry" dikes.

Backbone
This district is about 10 miles north-northwest of
Redding. The French Gulch district adjoins on the
west. The Backbone district includes the Squaw Creek
area. Although this district is in the Shasta copper-zinc
belt, it has been mainly a source of gold. The principal
gold mine has been the Uncle Sam, which was worked
from 1886 to 1913 and later prospected. It has yielded
more than $1 million. Several gold-quartz veins contain
free gold and often abundant sulfides. Country rock
is greenstone.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1933, Shasta County, Uncle Sam mi
Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 54-55.

McGregor, Alex, 1890, Squaw Creek mines— Backbone
California Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 639-641.

lining district;

Bully Choop
The Bully Choop district is in the vicinity of Bully
Choop Mountain in southeastern Trinity County about
15 miles southeast of Weaverville. The Bully Choop
and Cleveland mines, the principal gold sources, were
active from the late 1880s through the early 1900s.
There was some prospecting here again in the 1930s.
The deposits consist of zones of quartz stringers con-
taining free gold and often abundant sulfides, which
include chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite. The ore shoots
had stoping lengths of more than 200 feet. Country
rock consists of gneiss, hornblende schist, mica schist
and some limestone.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1933, Trinity County, Bully Choop and Cleveland
mines: California Div, Mines Rept. 29, pp. 15-19.

134

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

.r-€

Princess Hydraulic Mine, Shasta County. The monitors ore undercutting o bank of auriferous gravel. The photo
1900. Phofo courtesy of Adele Kieisting.

Callahan

Callahan is in south-central Siskiyou County in the
upper Scott River region. During the early days there
was considerable gold production from old bench
gravels and gulches tributary to the river in the south
portion of the district. The town was named for M.
B. Callahan, who established a store here in 1851. In
the early 1900s and again in the 1930s, substantial
amounts of gold were recovered by bucket-line
dredges that worked the Scott River north of the
town of Callahan for a distance of five miles. There
are a number of gold-quartz deposits in the district,
the most productive having been the Cummings or
McKeen mine, which had a total output valued at
1500,000. The veins usually are in or near a granitic
body and the ore bodies are small but often are rich.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Siskiyou County, Callahan district: Colifornia
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 825.

Dunn, R. L, 1893, Callahan's Ranch: Colifornia Min. Bur. Rept. 11,
pp. 433-434.

Cecilville

Cecilville is in southwestern Siskiyou County near
the junction of the East and South forks of the Salmon

River. Gold was discovered here in 1849 by James
Abrams, and the district soon became an important
mining center with a population of several thousand
persons. Later, from 3000 to 5000 Chinese were re-
ported to have worked the Salmon River by means
of flumes and wing dams. Substantial amounts of lode
gold have been recovered in the district, the most not-
able source having been the King Solomon mine,
which was active in the 1930s. The region is under-
lain by slate, greenstone, limestone, and serpentine,
with schist to the east. The lode deposits consist of
either massive gold-quartz veins or zones of quartz
seams and stringers that in places contain high-grade
pockets.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Siskiyou County, King Solomon mine: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 836.

Irwin, W. P., 1960, Geologic reconnaissonce of the northern Coast
Ranges and Klamath Mountains: California Div. Mines Bull. 179, 80 pp.

Siskiyou County Historical Society, 1957, Guidebook to Siskiyou's
gold fields: Siskiyou Pioneer, vol. 2, no. 10, pp. 14-17.

Cottonwood
Cottonwood Creek, which forms the southwest
border of Shasta County and is a tributary to the

1970

Gold Districts — Klamath Mountains

135

upper Sacramento River, has yielded substantial
amounts of gold. Its principal tributaries, Crow, Ante-
lope, Dry, and Roaring River Creeks, also have been
productive. During the 1930s, the area was worked
by both dragline and bucket-line dredges. Digging
depths were mostly 10 feet or less.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1938 Gold dredging in Shasta, Siskiyou and Trinity
Counties: California Div. Mines Rept. 34, pp. 96-126.

Deadwood

Deadwood is in central Siskiyou County about 10
miles north of Fort Jones. It was an important town
from 1851 to 1861 and a stop on the California-Oregon
stage line from 1851 until 1886. Hooperville, a few
miles to the west, also was an important early-day
settlement. Deadwood, Cherry, Indian, French, and
McAdam Creeks all yielded large amounts of placer
gold during the gold rush and were later dredged.
Cherry Creek is believed to have been worked six
different times. Snipers and part-time prospectors are
still active in the district.

The principal lode-gold mines here are the Frank-
lin, Cherry Hill, Golden Eagle, New York, Mt. Ver-
non, and Schroeder mines. The Golden Eagle has a
total production of about $1 million. Some of these
mines have been intermittently worked in recent years.
The veins occur in greenstone with some slate and
contain free gold and varying amounts of sulfides.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Siskiyou County, gold mines: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 825-865.

O'Brien, J. C, 1947, Siskiyou County, gold: California Jour. Mines
and Geol., vol. 43, pp. 428-453.

Siskiyou County Historical Society, 1957, Guidebook to Siskiyou's
gold fields: Siskiyou Pioneer, vol. 2, no. 10, pp. 80-82.

Dedrick-Canyon Creek

These districts are in north-central Trinity County
about 15 miles northwest of Weaverville. The bench
gravels at Canyon Creek are very extensive and appar-
ently were quite rich; hydraulic mines are almost con-
tinuous throughout its length of more than 12 miles.
A few of the hydraulic mines have been worked in
recent years.

Dedrick is a lode-gold district near the head of
Canyon Creek. The mines were developed during the
1880s and 1890s and were active until the 1930s. The
Alaska, with an output of $600,000, and the Globe
Consolidated, with a total output of more than $700,-
000, have been the principal lode mines. Others in-
clude the Ralston, Maple, Silver Gray, and Mason and
Thayer mines. The lode deposits consist of parallel
quartz veins containing fine free gold with some sul-
fides. Country rock consists of hornblende schist with
granitic stocks lying just to the north and east.

Bibliography

Dunn, R. L., 1893, Canon Creek district: California Min. Bur. Rept.
11, pp. 482-483.

'. <-^ y

Photo 68.
nese on the

-_S

-:>

Placer Mine, Siskiyou County. Water wheel and flume appear in this view of a mine operated by Chi-
KIcmath River in 1933. At one time these Chinese water wheels were widely used in river mining. Photo
by O/of P. ienkim.

136

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Ftrguson, H. G., 1914, Gold lodes of the Weaverville quadrangle:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 540, pp. 22-79.

logon, C. A., 1926, Trinity County, Globe Consolidoted mine: Cali-
fornio Min. Bur. Rept. 22, pp. 20-21.

Dillon Creek

Dillon Creek, a tributary of the lower Klamath
River, is in western Siskiyou County. It was originally
placer-mined during the gold rush, and the general
area was prospected again in the 1930s. The Siskon
mine was discovered in 1951 and operated on a large
scale from 1953 until 1960, one of the last significant
gold discoveries and operations in the state. Although
the value of its production is unrecorded, it has been
estimated at several million dollars. The deposit con-
sisted of an extensive mass of gold-bearing gossan that
overlay a body of pyritc-bearing schist and quartz
stringers. It was worked chiefly in benched cuts, al-
though some of the stringers were mined underground.
The ore was concentrated and the concentrates treated
in a cyanidarion plant.

Bibliography

Symons, H. H., and Davis, F. F., 1958, Gold: California Jour. Mines
ond Geology, vol. 54, p. 102.

Dog Creek

The Dog Creek or Delta district is in northwestern
Shasta County, about 25 miles north of Redding and
just west of the town of Delta. Some placer gold was
recovered from Dog Creek and other nearby streams
during the gold rush. The Delta mine, the principal
source of lode gold, was active in the 1890s and early
1900s. During this period it was connected to the
Southern Pacific Railroad by a 6 /z -mile-long narrow-
gauge railroad. A number of narrow quartz veins in
greenstone contain free gold and small amounts of
sulfides. The ore bodies usually are low in grade, but
were reported to have had stoping lengths of as much
as 800 feet.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Shasta County, Delta Consolidated mine: Coli-
fornio Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 784.

Dorleska

This district is in the Salmon Mountains on both
sides of the Trinity-Siskiyou County line and on the
divide between the Salmon and Trinity Rivers. It is
near the headwaters of Coffee Creek about 12 miles
southwest of Coffee Creek Ranch. The name derives
from the Dorleska mine, discovered in 1897. The Dor-
leska, with a total output of $200,000, and the Yellow
Rose mine, which has yielded more than 5100,000,
have been the chief sources of gold. Other properties
include the Upper Nash, LeRoy, and Keating mines.

The ore deposits occur in a north-northwest-trend-
ing zone of mineralization that is at least five miles
long. The deposits consist of narrow gold-quartz veins
and mineralized shear zones in and along the contacts
of lamprophyre dikes, especially where these dikes cut
serpentine. Serpentine lies to the west and schist to the

east. The ore contains free gold, pyrite, and smaller
amounts of tellurides and galena. A number of high-
grade pockets have been found here.

Bibliography

Averill, C. v., 1931, Trinity County, Yellow Rose mine: Colifornia
Div. Mines Rept. 27, p. 55.

Averill, C. v., 1941, Trinity County, Dorlesko mine; California Div.
Mines Rept. 37, p. 33.

MocDonold, D. F., 1913, Gold lodes of the Carrvllle district — Dorlesko
and Yellow Rose mines: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 530, port I, pp. 38-39.

French Gulch

Location. This district lies astride the Shasta-Trin-
ity County line in the general vicinity' of the town of
French Gulch and includes the Deadwood area to the
west. It is the most important lode-gold district in the
Klamath Mountains.

History. French Gulch was originally prospected
in 1849 by French miners, from whom the town re-
ceived its name in 1856. Clear Creek, which drains the
area, yielded large amounts of placer gold at this time.
The Washington mine, discovered in 1852, was the
first quartz mine worked in Shasta County. From
around 1900 to about 1914 the output for the district
averaged between $300,000 and $500,000 worth of
gold per year. There was some activitv' during the
1920s and 1930s, and there has been minor prospecting
and development work since. The value of the total
output of the district is estimated at more than $30
million.

Geology. The district is underlain predominantly
by slate, shale, and siltstone of the Bragdon Formation
(Mississippian). Copley Greenstone (Devonian) lies to
the northeast and south, and, to the southwest, there
is quartz diorite of the Shasta Bally batholith. In addi-
tion, numerous porphyridc quartz diorite and diorite
dikes, locally known as "birdseye porphyr\", occur.

Ore Deposits. The quartz veins usually strike west,
with a few northwest exceptions, and range from a few
inches to several feet thick. They are predominantly in
the rocks of the Bragdon Formation and often occur
near or adjacent to the dikes, which apparently have
had some effect on the localization of the ore bodies.
The latter consist of numerous parallel stringers rather
than a single massive vein. Calcite is commonly present
in the veins. The ore contains coarse, free gold usually
associated with considerable pyrite and smaller
amounts of galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, chalcopy-
rite, and occasionally scheelite. Numerous high-grade
pockets have been recovered here. A number of large
ore bodies occur in the district, several of which were
more than 1000 feet long.

Mines. Accident, American $300,000, Army Batch,
Blue Jay, Bright Star, Brown Bear $15 million, Bruns-
wick si 00,000, Calmich, Centennial, El Dorado, Fair-
view 1200,000, Gambrinus $125,000, Gladstone $6.9
million, Henry Clay $100,000 to $300,000, Highland
$300,000, Honeycomb, Jacoby, J.I.C, Larrv-, Mad
Mule $1 million. Mad Ox $500,000, Milkmaid and
Franklin $2.5 million, Montezuma 7,150-|- ounces, Mr.
Shasta 8,500 ounces, Niagara $1 million, Niagara Sum-

1970

Gold Districts — Klamath Mountains

1J7

/ ^5

^ calmicm\, ) >V V S'STI

%v L r^^llfW

EXPLANATION

Quartz diorite

Bragdon Formation
(Siltslona, shale,
and siltstona)

Copley and Balaklalo
Formotions. (Green-
stone and rhyolifej

Gold-quortz vein

SCALE IN MILES

Figure 26. Geologic Mop of French Gulch District, Shasta County. The principal gold-quartz veins ore shown. Modifieti from Albers, 1961, p. C-2.

mit, Philadelphia, St. Jude $280,000+, Scorpion 7,140
ounces, Summit 1 200,000, Sybel $600,000, Three Sis-
ters $100,000, Tom Green, Truscott, Venecia $500,000,
Vermont and Montezuma, Washington $2.5 million.

Bibliography

Albers, J. P., 1961, Gold deposits in the French Gulch-Deadwood
district, Shasta and Trinity Counties, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Prof. Paper 424-C pp. 1-4.

Albers, J. P., 1964, Geology of the French Gulch quadrangle, Shasta
and Trinity Counties: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 11410, 70 pp.

Albers, J. P., 1965, Economic geology of the French Gulch quadran-
gle: California Div. Mines and Geology Spec. Rept. 85, 41 pp.

Averill, C. V., 1933, Gold deposits of the Redding and Weoverville
quadrangles: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 2-72.

Brown, G. Chester, 1916, Shasta County, French Gulch district: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 775.

Crawford, J. J., 1894, Gladstone and Green mines: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 12, pp. 248-249.

Ferguson, H. G., 1913, Gold lodes of the Weoverville quadrangle:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 540-A, pp. 16-73.

Logan, C. A., 1926, Shasta County, French Gulch district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 22, pp. 167-168.

MacGregor, Alex., 1890, French Gulch mining district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 635-638.

Gazelle

This district is in south-central Siskiyou County
west of the town of Gazelle. The Dewey mine, which
was worked from the 1880s until about 1907, has been
the chief source of gold, its total output valued at
about $900,000. The region is underlain by metasedi-
mentary rocks, which are of Silurian age, and small
stocks of granodiorite. The gold-quartz veins occur
in granodiorite and contain abundant sulfides.

Bibliography

Logan, C. A., 1925, Siskiyou County, Dewey mine: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 21, p. 438.

Gilta

Gilta is in the southwestern comer of Siskiyou
County near the head of Knownothing Creek and
about five miles south of Forks of Salmon. Most of the
gold output here has come from the Gilta or Gold
Hill mine, which has a reported production of $1 mil-
lion, and from the e.xtremely rich placers of nearby
Knownothing Creek. The Gilta mine was worked on
a large scale, mostly prior to 1900. The gold-quartz
veins occur in slate and schist and are associated with
diorite dikes. One ore shoot at this mine was 250 feet
long.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Siskiyou County, Gold Hill mine: Californio
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 833.

Harrison Gulch

Harrison Gulch is in the extreme southwest comer
of Shasta County about six miles west of Platina and
40 miles southwest of Redding. It was named for
Judge W. H. Harrison, who settled here in 1852. The
Midas mine, the principal source of gold in the district
and one of the major lode mines in the Klamath Moun-
tains, has a total output of nearly $4 million. It was
discovered in 1894 and was worked on a major scale
from 1896 to 1914. Placer gold was recovered here
and in the Platina and Beegum areas to the east.

138

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

The lode deposits consist of lenticular ore bodies
in quarre veins that range from one to three feet in
thickness. They contain free gold and some sulfides.
Much of the ore produced at the Midas mine yielded
more than one ounce of gold per ton. The vein was
mined to a depth of 1500 feet. Countr\- rock consists
of greenstone and schist. Granite lies to the west, and
sandstone and shale are to the east.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Shojto County, Midoi mine; California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 792-793.

Logon, C. A., 1926, Shosto County, Harrison Gulch mines: Californio
Min. Bur. Rept. 22, pp. 173-174.

Helena-East Fork

The Helena and East Fork districts arc in north-
central Trinity County about 20 miles west of Wea-
verville and adjoin the Dedrick and Canyon Creek
districts on the west. The old town of Helena, which
is quite well-preserved, was an important mining cen-
ter in the early days. The once-important nearby
towns of Bagdad and Coleridge have long since disap-
peared. The bench gravels along the East Fork were
quite productive during the earlj' days but are not as
extensive as those at Canyon Creek to the east. There
are several lode-gold mines, the most productive hav-
ing been the Enterprise mine, which has been in-
termittently worked since 1884. Its estimated total
production is valued at $.')00,000. Others include the
Yellowstone, Lone Jack, and Ozark mines. The de-
posits consist of parallel quartz veins containing free
gold and varying amounts of sulfides. Some of the
veins are fairly flat, and in places these contain high-
grade pockets. Tellurides have been found. Country
rock is hornblende schist and granitic rock.

Bibliography

Ferguson, H. G., 1914, Gold lodes of the Weaverville quadrangle:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 540, pp. 22-79.

Logon, C. A., 1926, Trinity County, Enterprise mine: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 22, pp. 18-19.

Hoopa

This is a copper-gold district in the Hoopa Indian
Reser\'ation in northeastern Humboldt Count>'. Placer
gold has been recovered from the Trinity River and
by-product gold from the Copper Bluff copper mine,
active in 1965. The placer deposits occur both in the
present river channel and in older terrace deposits
along the bank. The ore deposits at the Copper BlufT
mine consist of mineralized schist and quartz veins
containing gold associated with chalcopyrite, sphal-
erite, galena, and pyrite.

Bibliography

Symons, H. H., and Dovis, F. F., 1959, Copper: 55lh Report of the
State Mineralogist, p. 122.

Humbug

Humbug is in north-central Siskiyou County about
10 miles northwest of Yreka. Humbug Creek, which
flows into the upper Klamath River, was extremely
rich during the early days; it is credited with an out-
put of nearly $15 million. The town of Humbug City,

which was founded in 1851, has largely disappeared.
Some dragline dredging has continued until the pres-
ent time. The gold-quartz veins were fairly produc-
tive, the Eliza, Spencer, Hegler, McKinley, and Mono
mines all having yielded substantial amounts of gold.
The veins range from one to five feet in thickness and
contain free gold, pyrite, galena, and smaller amounts
of other sulfides. Several high-grade pockets have been
mined. Country rock consists of greenstone and gran-
ite with smaller amounts of schist and slate.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Siskiyou County, Humbug Creek district: Call-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 824.

Irwin, W. P., 1960, Geologic reconnaissonce of the northern Coast
Ranges and Klamath Mountains: California Div. Mines Bull. 179, 80 pp.

Igo— One

Locatio7i and History. These two adjacent placer-
mining districts are in southwestern Shasta County
about 1 5 miles southwest of Redding. The South Fork
silver-mining district lies just to the north. The region
was first mined soon after the beginning of the gold
rush. From the 1860s through the 1880s the hydraulic
and drift mines were highl\' productive, especially the
Hardscrabble and Russell mines near Igo. Man)- Chi-
nese placer miners were here during this period. The
origin of the two names is reputed to have been from
the expressions "I go?" and "Oh no!", derived either
from the pidgin English spoken by the Chinese miners
when they were told to move on or from statements
made by a young son of the superintendent of the
Hardscrabble mine. There was appreciable activity in
these districts in the 1930s, much of the gold output
having come from the use of power shovels and drag-
line dredges. From 1933 to 1959 the districts were
credited with an output of 1 1 5,000 ounces of gold.

Geology. The gold production has come from
Recent stream gravels in South Fork, Eagle, Dry,
North Cottonwood, and Clear Creeks, and older ter-
race deposits. Some of the older terrace deposits are
quite extensive, the gravels at the Hardscrabble mine
being as deep as 50 feet. Bedrock consists of slate,
schist, greenstone and granite. There are some small
gold-quartz veins that have yielded high-grade pockets.

Bibliography

Mines

Averill, C. V., 1939, Shasto County, gold: Californi(
Rept. 35, pp. 129-159.

Brown, G. C, 1916, Shasta County, Igo district: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14, p. 775.

Jelly Ferry

Jelly or Jelly Ferry is on the upper Sacramento
River about 10 miles north of Red Bluff in Tehama
County. At one time Andrew Jelly operated a ferry
across the river. Later the state operated the ferr>'; it
was finally replaced by a bridge in 1950. During the
early days, Chinese mined gold-bearing gravels in the
area by ground sluicing, which was followed by an
unsuccessful early dredge. There was some dragline
dredging here in the 1930s. The gold occurs in both
the river gravels and terraces adjacent to the river.

1970

Gold Districts — Klamath Mountains

139

Bibliography

O'Brien, J. C, 1944, Tehama County, gold: California Jour. Mines
and Geol., vol. 42, p. 190.

Klamath River

The Klamath River flows across the northern por-
tion of the Klamath Mountain province. It enters the
Klamath Mountains in the vicinity of Hombrook,
flowing southwest and then generally west for more
than 50 miles, crossing a number of well-known min-
ing districts. The placer-gold production has come
from the present channel and a succession of terraces
and benches ranging from less than 50 to more than
200 feet above the present channel and its tributaries.
These older benches often are miles in extent and in
places are cut by younger and deeper channels. The
present streams were mined by hand methods during
the early days, later, by wingdams, flumes, and tun-
nels, and, more recently, by bucket-line or dragline
dredges. The benches were worked by hydraulicking,
ground sluicing and some by drift mining.

At Hombrook the river is joined by Cottonwood
Creek, which was noted for extremely rich but shal-
low deposits. A number of lode mines are found here
and in the Paradise or Fool's Paradise district, which
lies to the southeast. The Shasta River enters the
Klamath about five miles south of Hombrook and
both the river and two of its tributaries, Yreka and
Greenhorn Creeks, were extremely rich. Between 1850
and 1900 Greenhorn Creek was reported to have
yielded $11 million. The Yreka or Hawkinsville dis-
trict also was nearly as productive. Farther west, the
Klamath River was extensively placer-mined between
Humbug Creek and the Scott River, especially at Ma-
sonic, Skeahan, and Kanaka Bars and at Gottville.
Humbug Creek also was very rich (see separate sec-
tion on the Humbug district). Lumgrey, Empire, and
Dutch Creeks, all of which have been mined, enter the
river here. The Hazel lode mine, which has yielded
more than $800,000, is a few miles north of Gottville.
The gold-quartz veins in this mine occur in slate.

Farther downstream are Oak Bar, Beaver and Horse
Creeks and Hamburg, where the Scott River flows into
the Klamath (see separate sections on the Scott Bar
and Callahan districts). At Seiad Valley some 10 miles
to the west, substantial mining was done by both
dredging and hydraulicking. In the Happy Camp dis-
trict the river flows around several sharp bends and
then turns south. Here the China Creek, Davis, Reeves,
Woods Bar, Richardson Bedrock and Muck-a-Muck
hydraulic mines were important, as was Indian Creek,
which flows into the river from the northwest.

From Happy Camp the river flows in a general
south-southwest direction for approximately 50 miles.
It runs through the Clear Creek area, where the Sis-
kiyou and Bunker Hill mines are located. Cottage
Grove, the Dillon Creek areas (see section on the
Dillon Creek district). Rattlesnake Bar, Ti Bar, and
Somesbar, where the Salmon River flows into the
Klamath (see section on Salmon River). The Klamath
River then flows through the highly productive Or-
leans district in Humboldt County and on to Weitch-

pec, where it is joined by the Trinity River from the
south. At Weitchpec the Klamath River turns west
and then northwest for about 45 miles and empties
into the Pacific Ocean near the town of Requa in Del
Norte County.

Liberty

Location and History. The Liberty or Black Bear
district is in the Salmon Mountains in southwestern
Siskiyou County. The Sawyer's Bar district lies im-
mediately to the north and the Cecilville district is to
the south. The area was placer-mined in the 1850s.
Lode gold was discovered in 1860, both at White's
Gulch, a few miles to the northeast, and at the Black
Bear mine. From 1865 until about 1910, the lode mines
were highly productive, especially the Black Bear,
Klamath, and California Consolidated mines. There
was some activity in the district again in the 1930s,
and there has been some prospecting since.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain by slate, phyllite, greenstone, and chert of Paleo-
zoic and Mesozoic age, with a few lenses of serpen-
tine and small granitic bodies. Diorite dikes are often
associated with the veins. The ore deposits consist of
lenticular gold-quartz veins, usually five feet or less
in thickness. Milling-grade ore usually averages ordy a
few dollars per ton, but a considerable number of high-
grade pockets have been found in the district.

Mines. Advance $250,000-|-, Ball, Black Bear $3.1
miUion, California Cons. $473,000-|-, Cleaver, Hanson,
Hickey, Jumbo, Klamath $600,000, Lanky Bob, Moun-
tain Laurel $600,000, White Bear.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Siskiyou County, gold mines — quartz: California
Min. Bur. Repf. 14, pp. 825-842.

Irwin, W. P., 1960, Geologic reconnaissance of the northern Coast
Ranges and the Klamath Mountains: California Div. Mines, Bull. 179,
80 pp.

Logan, C. A., 1925, Siskiyou County, Salmon River district: Califor-
nia Min. Bur. Rept. 21, pp. 419-420.

Monumental

This small lode-gold district is in northern Del Norte
County about 45 miles northeast of Crescent City.
Most of the work here has been done at the Monu-
mental Consolidated mine, which has been intermit-
tently developed since about 1900. Several quartz
veins in greenstone and slate contain some gold, py-
rite, chalcopyrite, and hematite. The greatest depth at-
tained here is about 250 feet.

Bibliography

Lowell, F. L., 1916, Del Norte County, Monumental Consolidated
quortz mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 389-390.

Moxon, J. H., 1933, Economic geology of portions of Del Norte and
Siskiyou Counties, northeastern California: Colifornro Div. Mines Repf.
29, pp. 123-160.

New River-Denny

New River is an important tributary of the Trin-
ity River. It rises in the Salmon Mountains in north-
western Trinit>'^ County and flows in a southwesterly
direction through the Denny area and eventually joins
the Trinity River at Burnt Ranch. Gold was discov-

140

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

ercd here in 1849, and placer mining followed for
some years. Lode mining began later, the chief pro-
ducer having been the Mountain Boomer mine, which
has a total output of more than $350,000. The area
was prospected again in the 1930s. A number of gold-
quartz veins occur in slate and greenstone. Other mines
in the district include the Uncle Sam, Modoc, Sher-
wood, Mary Blaine, Hunter, Live Oak, and Gun Bar-
rel mines.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Trinity County, Modoc and Mountain Boomer
mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 895.

Min. and Sci. Presj, Jan. 24, 1885, New River district, p. 53.

Old Diggings

The Old Diggings or Buckeye district is about five
miles due north of Redding in the vicinity of the
towns of Buckeye and Summit Cit\ . The area was set-
tled by miners from Ohio, the "Buckeye State". It was
extremely productive during the gold rush, when large
amounts of placer gold were recovered by hydrau-
licking. Later, considerable amounts of lode gold were
produced, particularly from 1904 until 1919, when
large tonnages of siliceous gold-bearing copper ore
were recovered from the Reid mine and used as flux
in the Mammoth smelter at Kennett. The area was
prospected again in the 1930s.

The district is underlain largely by greenstone of
Devonian age. The veins consist of white sugary quartz
that contain free gold, pyrite, and small amounts of
chalcopyrite. Tellurides have been reported to occur
in the deposits. The veins range from a few feet to as
much as 25 feet in thickness and were mined to depths
up to 1000 feet. Milling ore contained from less than
1/6 to one or more ounces of gold per ton. Some high-
grade pockets were found. Most of tlie placer gold
was recovered from older bench gravels.

Mines. Calumet, Central $500,000, Evening Star,
Mammoth, National $200,000, Texas $750,000, Reid
$2.5 million-}-. Walker.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1933, Gold deposits of the Redding-Weaverville dis-
tricts: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 2-73.

Logan, C. A., 1926, Shasta County, gold: California Min. Bur. Rept.
22, pp. 167-186.

McGregor, Alex, 1890, Old Diggings district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 10, pp. 629-632.

Orleans

Location. This district is on the Klamath River in
the extreme northeast corner of Humboldt County in
the vicinity of the town of Orleans. It is mainly a
placer-mining district. There was mining here during
and after the gold rush that continued through the
earl\- 1900s. The Pcarch hydraulic mine was active
during the 1930s.

Geology. The gold-hearing deposits are stream
gravels in the Klamath River and extensive older
bench gravels about 50 to 80 feet above the level of
rlic present river. Bedrock is slate and schist. The bench
gravels were mined b\' h>draulicking. The gold is fine
to medium, and some platinum is present.

Mines. Allen, Bondo, Orcutt, Orleans Bar, Pearch,
Rocky Point, Rough and Ready, Salstrom.

Bibliography

Averill, C. v., 1941, Humboldt County, Pearch mine: California Div.
Mines Rept. 37, pp. 512-513.

Irelan, William, 1888, Orleans Bar, Orleans, and Pearch mines:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 219-221.

Lowell, F. L., 1916, Humboldt Co., placer gold, Colifornio Min. Bur.
Rept. 14, pp. 401-407.

Ore Fine

Location. Tlie Oro Fino district, in central Siski-
you County about five miles west of Fort Jones, in-
cludes the Quartz Valley and Mugginsville areas. The
placer deposits were first worked during the gold rush
and the lode mines began operating soon afterward.
There was appreciable activity here again in the 1930s
and 1940s, when the lode mines were active.

Geology and Ore Deposits. Many of the lode de-
posits are in Quartz Hill, a steep resistant peak in the
central portion of the district. It consists largely of
hard dark massive pyrtic greenstone. Schist, limestone,
small amounts of serpentine, and valley alluvium are
present. Diorite dikes often are associated with the
veins. Numerous quartz-calcite veins contain free gold
and often abundant pyrite. The quartz is white to
smoky in color. The placer deposits occur in the vari-
ous creeks, and the gold generally is fine but rough
and angular. Some of the placers were extremely rich.

Mines. Fino, Gibralter, Gold Reef, Golden Eagle,
Morrison and Carlock f 500,000-|-, Providence, Quartz
Hill, Star, Umpah.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Siskiyou County, gold: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 14, pp. 825-865.

Irwin, W. P., 1960, Geologic reconnoissonce of the northern Coast
Ronges and Klamath Mountains: California Div. Mines Bull. 179, 80 pp.

Siskiyou County historical Society, 1957, Guidebook to Siskiyou's
gold fields: Siskiyou Pioneer, vol. 2, no. 10, pp. 83-88.

Redding

Location and History. Redding is in south-central
Shasta County. Originalh' named Reading for Major
Pierson B. Reading, who discovered gold in the Trin-
it>' River, the district was renamed for Benjamin Red-
ding, land agent for the Central Pacific Railroad Com-
pany. During the gold rush appreciable amounts of
placer gold were recovered in the area, from the upper
Sacramento River and from Oregon, Flat, and Clear
Creeks, which are to the southwest. Also, high-grade
surface pockets were mined. During the 1930s a num-
ber of dragline and bucket-line dredges were active
in the area. The Yankee John lode mine has been inter-
mittently worked in recent years.

Ore Deposits. The lode deposits consist of narrow
quartz veins and seams containing native gold, small
amounts of sulfides and some silver. The deposits
occur in a belt that extends southwest to Centcrville.
Much of the output has been from small but rich
pockets. The Yankee John, the chief lode mine in the
district, has a total output of slightly more than $200,-
000. Country rock consists of greenstone, slate, and
granitic rocks. There are numerous dioriric dikes.

1970

Gold Districts — Klamath Mountains

141

^ SUTRO^

MAMMOTH 5?

^ ..SHASTA

:;f ^f KING

'O X'BALAKLAL/

5fKEYST0NE

C" V IRON

S MOUNTAIN

SHASTA LAKE

5f AFTERTHOUGHT

SHASTA DAM

o CENTRAL VALLEY

o PROJECT CITY

Figure 27. Sketch Map of Shasta Copper-Zinc Belt. The major mines are shown.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1933. Gold deposits of the Redding and Weoverville
quadrangles: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 3—73.

Salmon River

The Salmon River drains the Salmon Mountains,
which are in the central portion of the Klamath Moun-
tains province in Siskiyou County. This river is not
as long as the Klamath or Trinity Rivers, but it flows
through several rich and famous placer-mining dis-
tricts. The most productive districts have been at
Snowden and Sawyer's Bar on the North Fork, Cecil-
ville and Knownothing on the South Fork, and Forks
of Salmon at the junction of the North and South
Forks. Probably the richest portion of the river was
the 17-mile stretch of the North Fork between Saw-
yer's Bar and Forks of Salmon, a segment that had an
estimated gold production of |25 million. Eddy's
Gulch, just south of Sawyer's Bar, yielded $4 million.
As in the other streams in this province, the river bars
were first worked by hand methods and later by wing-
dams and flumes. The bench gravels were hydraulicked
or worked by drift mining. Placer gold was discovered
on the Salmon River in 1849 at Cecilville and in 1850
near Sawyer's Bar. Most of the other important placer
"diggings" were developed soon afterward. Among
the important lode-gold mines are those in the Liberty
and Gilta districts (see separate sections on these two
districts).

Scott Bar

Scott Bar is on the lower Scott River in Siskiyou
County a few miles south of Hamburg, where the
Scott joints the Klamath River. John Scott discovered
gold here in 1850. The district was an important cen-
ter during the early days when the river and older
bench gravels were extensively mined. The Quartz
Valley mine just east of town has been worked on a
large scale both by hydraulicking and as a lode mine.
At this property the gold occurs in thin stringers or
lenses of quartz and calcite in micaceous schist. A
number of rich pockets have been found in this dis-
trict.

Bibliography

Brown, G. C, 1916, Siskiyou County, Scott Bar district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 823-824.

O'Brien, J. C, 1947, Siskiyou County, Quartz Hill mine: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 43, p. 447.

Shasta Copper-Zinc Belt

The Shasta copper-zinc belt is in west-central Shasta
County in the foothills of the Klamath Mountains and
a few miles north of Redding. The two main areas of
mineralization are known as the West and East Shasta
districts (fig. 27). Part of the East Shasta district has
been inundated by Shasta Lake.

Gold- and silver-bearing gossans were originally
mined in these districts during the 1860s. Later, from
the 1890s to about 1920, copper and zinc ores were

142

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull 193

mined in large quantities and treated in several nearby
smelters. Substantial amounts of by-product gold were
recovered in these operations, especially in the West
Shasta district. For example, the Mammoth mine, dur-
ing the period of 1905 to 1925, yielded 132,510 ounces
of gold from copper-zinc ore at an average of .039
ounces of gold per ton. During the 1930s substantial
amounts of gossan were mined for gold near the Iron
Mountain mine. The total gold output of the West
Shasta district is estimated at 520,000 ounces. The total
production of the East Shasta district is unknown, but
during the period 1900-52, the district was credited
w ith an output of 44,000 ounces of gold.

The ore deposits consist of either bodies of massive
pyrite with var_\ ing amounts of chalcopyrite and
sphalerite in rhyolite or sulfide minerals disseminated
in schist. Veins or replacement deposits exist in schist
and limestone. Most of the massive sulfide bodies are
lenticular and range from a few tens of feet long to
one at the Iron Mountain mine that is 4500 feet long.
The gold content of these deposits usually ranges from
.01 to .1 ounce per ton.

Shasta-Whiskeytown

Location and History. Shasta and Whiskeytown
are in western Shasta County about 10 miles west-
northwest of Redding. The Iron Mountain copper-
zinc district is to the north, and the French Gulch gold
district is to the northwest. Gold was discovered in
Clear Creek, which flows through the area in 1849,
and many mining camps were soon established. The
largest and best known were Horsetown and Whis-
keytown, which no longer exist, and Shasta, which
was the first seat of government of Shasta County.

The Shasta camp is now a state historical monument,
and many of the old buildings have been restored.
There was some dragline dredging in the district in
the 1930s.

Geology and Ore Deposits. Much of the gold pro-
duction was from placer deposits in Clear Creek and
its tributaries. Lode gold was recovered from pocket
mines. Narrow and shallow quartz veins contain free
gold and abundant sulfides in places. The largest
source of lode gold apparently was the Mt. Shasta
mine, which has yielded about $180,000. The gold-
bearing veins occur either in granite or in greenstone
and schist near granitic contacts.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1933, Gold depoiifs of ths Redding and Weovsrvill*
quadrangles: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 2-73.

Logan, C. A., 1926, Shosta County, Whiskeytown and Shasta dis-
tricts: Californio Min. Bur. Rept. 22, pp. 168-169.

Smith River

Most of the gold produced in Del Norte County
has come from placer-mining operations along the
Smith River and its tributaries. These operations in-
clude the placer mines of Hurdy Guray, Monkey,
Myrtle, and Craigs Creeks and the French Hill area.
Gold has been obtained by mining the present stream
gravels, terrace gravels adjacent to the present streams,
and patches of the so-called Klamath "oldland cycle"
gravels at such places as French Hill and Haines Flat.
The terrace and "oldland" gravels were mined by
hydraulicking. The principal period of mining was
from the 1850s through the 1870s, but there has been
small-scale intermittent work ever since. The estimated

Photo 69. Carrville Gold Company Dredge, Trinity River District. This photo wos token on the upper Trinity River in Trinity County in 1940.

Photo courtesy oi Yuba Consolidated Industries.

1970

Gold Districts — Klamath Mountains

143

Steam Dragline Operation, Trinity River District. The photo was token ot CofFee Creel<, Trinity County,

Averill.

the 1920s. Pholo by C. V.

total production is 40,000 ounces of gold. Chrome ore
also was mined at French Hill during World Wars I
and II.

Bibliography

Lowell, F. L, 1916, Del Norte County, placer gold: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 386-389.

Moxon, J. H., 1933, Economic geology of portions of Del Norte and
Siskiyou Counties: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 1^3—160.

O'Brien, J. C, 1952, Del Norte County, gold: California Jour. Mines
and Geology, vol. 48, pp. 277-279.

Trinity River

The Trinity River, the southern part of the Klam-
ath-Trinity River system, drains the southern part of
the Klamath Mountain province. As this stream and its
tributaries flow across auriferous rocks for much of
their total lengths, they have been the sources of vast
amounts of placer gold. The estimated output of the
Trinity River placers is $35 million worth of gold.
The Trinity River rises in the northeast corner of
Trinity County in an area known as the Dodge district
and flows in a general south-southwesterly direction
for about 60 miles.

In the upper Trinity River area, the principal
sources of gold have been the Carrville and Trinity
Center districts. At Carrville the river was dredged
until comparatively recently. Among several impor-

tant lode-gold mines here, the most productive have
been the Trinity Bonanza King with a total output
valued at $1.25 million and the Headlight, which has
yielded $500,000. The gold-quartz veins occur in slate
and greenstone, but granitic bodies are nearby. CofFee
Creek, an important tributary, enters the area from
the west. This creek was placer-mined for many years,
and several high-grade quartz mines near its head-
waters produced gold.

Trinity Center was settled in 1851. Several older
bench gravel deposits were extremely rich in the early
days and bucket-line dredges were active recently.
From Trinity Center south through the Minersville
district, including part of the Stuart Fork, the region
is covered by the Trinity Reservoir. The well-known
Fairview lode mine was in the Minersville district.

The Trinity River and adjoining terraces were ex-
tensively mined in the Eastman Gulch and Lewiston
districts. One of the better-known lode mines was the
Venecia mine. The gold-quartz veins at this mine have
yielded more than $500,000. In the Lewiston and
Douglas City districts, the river makes a number of
extremely sharp bends that have formed several wide
river bars, particularly at Starvation Flat near the
town of Lewiston and at Gold Bar. The Douglas City
area was extremely rich in the early days where the

144

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 71. H/draulic Mining of Bench Grovels, Trinity County. This is a 1933 scene at the Solyer mine. Photo by O/of P. Jenltini.

highly productive Weaver, Indian, and Reading
Creeks empty into the Trinity River.

Downstream, in the Junction City district, the river
swings to the north and then west. The river has been
dredged for a distance of at least eight miles here.
The bench gravels are extensive and thick, and some
of the hydraulicked banks are several hundred feet
high. The largest bench deposits are at Coopers Bar,
Hocker Flat, Benjamin Flat, and Chapman Ranch.
Canyon Creek and Oregon Gulch flow into the river
at Junction Qty, and the North and East Forks, at
Helena. Moderate amounts of older gravels exist at
Big Bar to the northwest.

Hayfork, which is about 15 miles southwest of
Junction City, is a branch of the South Fork of the
Trinity' River. Most of the gold recovered in Hayfork
Valley has been by dragline dredging, upstream in
Hayfork Gulch, by hydraulicking. A number of nar-
row but often rich gold-quartz veins are found in slate
and related rocks in the mountains just south of Hay-
fork. These include the recently active Kelly mine.

From Big Bar the main channel of the Trinity River
flows in a nonhwesterly direction through the Burnt
Ranch and Salyer districts. The highly productive
New River, which drains the Denny district to the
northeast, enters the Trinity River here (see section
on New River-Denny district). At both Hawkins Bar
and Salyer are bench gravels high above the present
streams. Beyond Salyer the Trinity River is joined by
the South Fork, and from this junction the river flows
northerly through Willow Creek and Hoopa, site of

the recently active Copper Bluff copper-gold mine.
The Trinity River then continues on to Weitchpec,
where it empties into the Klamath River.

Weaverville

Location and History. Weaverville, the seat of
government of Trinity County, is about 50 miles west-
northwest of Redding. For years it was one of the
major centers of gold mining in the Klamath Moun-
tains. The area was settled son after Major Pearson B.
Reading's gold discovery on the Trinity River in
1848. The stream and bench gravels were highly pro-
ductive during the gold rush. The town was named
for John Weaver, a prosperous Forty-Niner. By the
middle 1850s many persons lived here, including sev-
eral thousand Chinese, some of whom became involved
in a tong war in 1854. The old Chinese joss house still
stands and is now a state historical monument.

The La Grange mine, a few miles west of town and
one of the major hydraulic mines in California, was
opened in 1851. Large-scale hydraulicking began in
1862 and continued until 1918. From 1932 until 1942,
further excavation at the mine, for the state highway,
brought some gold production. The total output of the
mine has been estimated by the author to be at least
$8 million, although the commemorative plaque states
that it is $3.5 million. More than 100 million cubic
yards of material were excavated. Water was delivered
from Stuart's Fork of the Trinity River via a 29-mile
system of canals, flumes, and tunnels. During the 1930s

1970

Gold Districts — Klamath Mountains

145

Photo 72. La Grange Hydraulic Mine, Weaverville District. This northward view of the mine, in Trinity County, was taken
in about 1914. la Grange was one of the largest hydraulic mines in the state.

146

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

several other hydraulic mines and a considerable num-
ber of dragline dredges were active in the district.

Geology. The central portion of the district is un-
derlain by an extensive series of continental sedimen-
tary rocks known as the VVeaverville Formation. This
formation includes the auriferous channel gravels, as
well as shale, sandstone, and tuff. In places the gravels
are partly cemented and as much as 400 feet thick. The
Weavcrville Formation is underlain by schist, lime-
stone, slate, and shale and to the east by granite of the
Shasta Bally batholith. The gravel deposits at the La
Grange mine lie in a trough bounded by a fault. Schist
lies on the northwest and slate and limestone on the
southeast. The base of the fault plane is a soft gouge.
The richest zone in this mine was a 15-foot layer of
blue gravel that yielded up to J2 in gold per yard.
Some gold-quartz veins in the district contain free
gold and varying amounts of sulfides. The ore bodies

commonly are associated with diorite or "birdseye
porphyry" dikes.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1933, Gold dsposih o< the Redding and WeavervilU
quadrangles: California Div. Mines Repl. 29, pp. 2-73.

Averill, C. v., 1941, Trinity County, La Grange placer mines, Ltd.:
California Div. Mines Rept. 37, pp. 43-44.

Diller, J. S., 1914, Auriferous gravels in the Weaverville quadrangle:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 540, pp. 11-21.

Oilier, J. S., 1911, The ouriferous gravels of the Trinity River basin:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 470, pp. 11-29.

Ferguson, H. G., 1914, Gold lode« of the Weaverville quadrangle:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 540, pp. 22-79.

Hinds, N. E. A., 1933, Geologic formations of the Redding-WeovervilU
districts: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 77-122.

Irwin, W. P., 1963, Preliminary geologic mop of the Weoverville
quadrangle: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Investigations Field Studie*
Mop MF-275.

Logan, C. A., 1926, Trinity County, la Grange and Lorenz hydraulic
mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 22, pp. 39-43.

MocDonold, D. F., 1910, The Weaverville-Trinity Center gold groveb:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 430, pp. 48-58.

BASIN RANGES PROVINCE

The Basin Ranges occupy most of Mono and Inyo
Counties and small portions of several other counties,
including Modoc County in the northeast corner of
the state (see fig. 3). These mountain ranges lie east
of the Sierra Nevada and north of the Garlock fault,
which separates them from the Mojave Desert. The
Basin Ranges province is a region of roughly parallel
mountain ranges alternating with basins or troughs
and controlled by fault block structure. The region is
underlain by granitic, sedimentary and metamorphic
rocks of Precambrian, Paleozoic and Mesozoic ages,
which in places are overlain by Cenozoic sedimentary
and volcanic rocks. As in the Mojave Desert province,
the gold occurs either as epithermal deposits in silici-
fied and brecciated zones in volcanic rocks or as meso-
thermal gold-quartz veins in older metamorphic or
granitic rocks. The largest source of gold in the Basin
Ranges province has been the Bodie district in Mono
County. Appreciable amounts of gold also have been
mined in the Argus, Chloride Cliff, Russ, Skiddoo, and
Ballarat districts.

Argus

Location and History. This district, in southern
Inyo County in the Argus Range about 10 miles north
of Trona, has also been known as the Kellcy or Sher-
man mining district. The mines here apparently were
first worked in the 1890s, although gold may have
been discovered earlier. Considerable mining activity
during the early 1900s and again in the 1930s was
followed by intermittent prospecting and development
work until the present time.

Geology. The rocks that underlie the district range
from quartz monzonite to gabbro in composition, but
the acidic intrusives predominate. The ore deposits
occur either in quartz veins or in zones consisting of
cemeited, silicified breccia containing jasper, quartz

veinlets, calcite, and abundant iron oxide. The gold
is usually in a very fine state; sulfides are present only
in some of the deposits.

Mines. Arondo $200,000, Davenport, Mohawk,
Ruth $700,000+, Star of the West, Stockwell.

Bibliography

Norman, L. A., Jr., and Stewart, R. M., 1951, Inyo County, Arondo,
Mohawk, ond Ruth mines: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 47,
pp. 38-39, 46, and 49-50.

Tucker, W. B., 1938, Inyo County, gold: Colifornia Div. Mines Rept.
34, pp. 379-424.

Ballarat

Location and History. Ballarat is in south-central
Inyo County on the west flank of the Panamint Range
and just west of Death Valley National Monument. It
was named for the Ballarat mining district in Australia.
It includes the South Park area to the south. The old
silver-mining camp of Panamint City is just to the
north. The Ratcliff mine, the largest gold source in the
district, was discovered in 1897, and considerable min-
ing activit)' lasted until about 1915. The mines were
active again from 1927 until 1942, and there has been
intermittent prospecting and development work since.

Geology. The district is underlain by schist, dolo-
mitic limestone, and gneiss of Precambrian age, which
in places have been cut by granitic dikes. The ore
deposits consist of quartz veins containing free gold
and occasionally abundant sulfides.

Mines. Cecil R., Knob, Lestro Mountain, Lotus,
Porter, Ratcliff $1.3 million-1-, Thorndyke, World
Beater.

Bibliography

Jennings, C. W., 1958, Death Valley sheet: California Div. Mines
geologic mop of California, Olaf P. Jenkins edition.

Normon, L. A., Jr., ond Stewart, R. M., 1951, Inyo County, Lotus and
Ratcliff mines: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 47 pp. 45-48.

147

Beveridge

Location and History. The Beveridge district is in
west-central Inyo County in the Inyo Mountains. The
area was first worked in the late 1870s, when the Big
Horn and Keynote mines were discovered. Mining
operations continued fairly steadily until the early
1900s. There was activity in the district again in the
1930s, and there has been intermittent prospecting
since.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The region is under-
lain by a series of northwest-trending beds of lime-
stone, quartzite, and schist that have been intruded by
quartz monzonite and other granitic rocks. Quartz
veins occur both in the granitic and metamorphic
rocks. The veins strike north and usually range from
two to eight feet in thickness. The ore contains some
free gold, but much of the value is in sulfides, which
are abundant in places. Some copper, lead, silver, and
zinc have been produced in the district. The greatest
depth of development is about 500 feet.

Mines. Big Horn, Burgess, Cinnamon, Golden
Eagle, Gold Standard, Keynote |500,000, Mountain
View, Tom Casey.

Bibliography

Mines

Jennings, C. W., 1958, Deoth Valley sheet: Colifornia Di'
geologic map of California, Olof P. Jenkins edition.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1938, Inyo County — gold mines:
California Div. Mines Rept. 34, pp. 379-424.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Inyo County, gold mines: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 15, pp. 75-85.

Big Pine

Several gold mines and prospects exist on the west
slope of the White Mountains in northern Inyo
County a few miles northeast of Big Pine and south-
east of Bishop. The deposits consist of narrow quartz
veins in Paleozoic metasediments cut by granitic dikes.
The ore contains free gold, pyrite, and varying
amounts of other sulfides.

Bodie

Location. The Bodie district is in eastern Mono
County about 18 miles southeast of Bridgeport.

History. Gold was discovered here in 1859 by Wil-
liam S. Bodey, and the district was organized in 1860,
but activity was minor until 1872, when rich ore was
discovered. From 1876 to about 1884, a rush was on
with much production from rich but shallow deposits.
By 1888, the district had yielded more than $18 mil-
lion, but, thereafter until World War II, mining was
confined to lower-grade deposits and reworking of old
tailings.

From 1881 until 1914 timber was delivered to the
mines by a narrow-gauge railroad from the east side
of Mono Lake. Bodie was one of the first mining
camps to use electricity (1893). Most of the impor-
tant mines came under the control of J. S. Cain in
1915. The town became a noted tourist attraction in
the 1940s, although many of the buildings had been
destroyed by fire in 1932. The remaining portion be-

148

California Division of Minf^ and Geology

Bull. 193

Ph.:. ;
of the mine.

.- -:.-J Mine, Bodie District. This 1931 view
Mono County, looks north. The Red Cloud

Olat P. Jenkins.

came a state park in 1961. Studies have been made to
determine the feasibility of working the entire Stand-
ard Hill area as a large open-pit operation. Bodie is
the most productive district in the Basin Ranges, with
a total production estimated to be valued at slightly
more than $30 million. The district also has yielded
more than 1 million ounces of silver.

Geology and Ore Deposits. A number of steep,
north-trending silicified and brecciated zones and nar-
row quartz veins occur in Tertiary andesite. They are
especially common in the Standard mine area, where
the mineralized zone is as much as 1000 feet wide.
Most of these veins and brecciated zones pinch out at
depths of around 1000 feet, but some in the central
portion of the di.strict are reported to be deeper. The
deepest shaft is 1 200 feet. Most of the values have been
recovered from above 500 feet. The ore contains finely
disseminated free gold in both the quartz and silicified
breccia with little or no sulfides. In only one vein,
the Addonda Oro of the Southern Consolidated
group, is pyrite abundant. The high-grade ore recov-
ered in the early days from shallow workings yielded
from $100 to $300 of gold and silver per ton.

Mines. Bechtel Cons. $200,000+, Bodie Tunnel
$200,000-f, Bulvvar $428,000+, Mono $122,000+,
Southern Cons. $1 million+. Standard Cons. $18
million+, Syndicate |1 million+.

Bibliography

Brown, R. A., 1908, The vein system of the Standard mine, Bodie,
California: Trons. Am. Inst. Min. Engrs., vol. 38, pp. 343-357.

Coin, Ella M., 1956, The Story of Bodie, Fearon Publishers, San
Francisco, 196 pp.

Crov/ford, J. J., 1896, Standard mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 13,
p. 231.

Eokle, A. S., ond Mclaughlin, R. D., 1919, Mono County, Bodie
district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 149-160.

Tucker, W. B., and Sompson, R. J., 1940, Mono County, Southern
Cons, ond Standard Cons, mines: Colifornio Division of Mines Rept. 36,
pp. 136-138.

Whiting, H. A., 1888, Bodie district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 8,
pp. 382-401.

Chloride ClifF

Location and History. Chloride ClifF is in the Fu-
neral Range in the eastern part of Death Valley Na-

tional Monument, about 20 miles north of Furnace
Creek. It is sometimes known as the South Bullfrog
district. Gold was probably discovered here at an early
date, but the chief period of activity was from around
1900 to 1916 when the Keane Wonder and Chloride
Cliff mines were active. There has been minor work
since. The Keane Wonder mine is credited with a total
output of more than $1 million.

Geology. The district is underlain predominantly
by Precambrian schist, quartzite and gneiss, which
in places have been cut by dioritic dikes. The ore
bodies occur in lenticular quartz veins as much as 30
feet thick. The ore contains fine free gold, pyrite, and
galena. Most of the ore contained Vi ounce of gold
or less per ton, but the ore shoots were as long as 300
feet.

Bibliography

Tucker, W. B., 1938, Inyo County, Keane Wonder mine: Colifornio
Oiv. Mines Rept. 34, pp. 402-403.

Waring, C. A., and Huguenin, Emile, 1919, Inyo County, Chloride
Cliff and Keane Wonder mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 76-77
and 79-81.

Clover Patch

Gold has been recovered from a number of mines
in southern Mono County, in the Clover Patch min-
ing district. It includes the areas known as the Chidago
and Indian districts. The Blind Spring Hill silver min-
ing district is a few miles to the northeast, and Casa
Diablo is to the south. The area was first worked prior
to 1900, and a number of mines were worked or
prospected again in the 1930s.

The quartz veins, which are as much as 10 feet thick
and often brecciated, contain free gold, pyrite, and
smaller amounts of other sulfides. In places the ore
contained Vi to one ounce of gold per ton. Country
rock consists of granite, rhyolite, quartzite and lime-
stone.

Mines. Casa Diablo, Clover Patch, El Dorado,
Evening Star, Gold Crown, Last Chance, Mary B, Si-
erra Vista, Sour Dough.

Bibliography

Sampson, R. J., and Tucker, W. B., 1940, Mono County, gold: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines Rept. 36, pp. 120-140.

1970

Gold Districts — Basin Ranges

149

El Paso Mountains

Location. The El Paso Mountains are in north-
eastern Kern County, some 10 miles northwest and
north of Randsburg. A series of dry placer "diggings"
lies between Redrock Canyon on the southwest and
the Summit "diggings" to the northeast. The district
includes the areas known as the Goler, Garlock and
Searles districts.

History. Gold was discovered in Goler Canyon in
1893, and dry washing camps soon sprang up at Last
Chance, Red Rock, Jawbone Canyon and Summit
Diggings. Mining activity declined by 1900, but a num-
ber of operations were reactivated during the 1930s,
and since World War II, there has been minor pros-
pecting. In these dry placer districts, the easily recov-
erable gold was mined at one locality in a few months
to a vear or two, and the miners moved on to other

Ore Deposits. Auriferous sands and gravels occur
in benches above the present canyons and on bedrock
in the washes and canyons themselves. Much of the
gold is believed by Hulin (1934) to have been derived
from the erosion and reworking of the basal conglom-
erate of the Ricardo Formation (lower Pliocene),
which is e.xtensive in this region. The gold particles
are round and show evidence of considerable abrasion.
The gold is mostly fine, although nuggets of up to
several ounces have been recovered. Some narrow
gold-quartz veins occur in granite and schist.

Bibliography

Dibblee, T. W., Jr., and Gay, T. E., Jr., 1952, Mineral deposits of
the Soltdale quodrangle: California Div. Mines Bull. 160, pp. 47-49.

Hess, f. v.. 1909, Gold mining in the Randsburg quadrangle: U. S.
Geol. Survey Bull. 430, pp. 23-47.

Hulin, C. D., 1934, Geologic features of the dry placers of the
northern Mojave Desert: California Div. Mines Rept. 30, pp. 417-426.

Troxel, B. W., and Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, El Paso Moun-
tains district: California Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 1,
pp. 29-31.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1933, Goler Canyon placer
district: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, p. 281.

Tucker, W. B., Sampson, R. J., and Oakeshott, G. B., 1949, Kern
County, Goler Canyon placer and Janney group of placers: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 45, pp. 223 and 225.

Fish Springs

The Fish Springs or Tinemaha district, in north-
western Inyo County about eight miles south of Big
Pine, has several small mines and prospects. The New
Era mine was active in the 1940s. The deposits consist
of gold-quartz veins in granitic rocks that are com-
monly associated with diorite dikes. The deposits
usually consist of a series of narrow parallel veins.

Bibliography

Norman, L. A., Jr., and Stewort, R. M., 1951, Inyo County, New Era
mine: California Jour. Mines ond Geology, vol. 47, p. 47.

Grapevine

Some gold was recovered at one time from Grape-
vine Canyon, which is in the north end of the Grape-
vine Mountains in eastern Inyo County and is part of

Death Valley National Monument. Several gold-quartz
veins occur in metamorphosed sedimentary rocks of
Paleozoic age. Scott>''s Castle, for many years the
home of Death Valley Scotty and now a well-known
tourist attraction, is located in Grapevine Canyon.

Harrisburg

Location and History. Harrisburg or Harrisburg
Flat is in east-central Inyo Count)' in Dealth Valley
National Monument. It is about five miles north of
Wildrose Canyon and nine miles south of Skidoo.
Gold was discovered here in 1905 by Shorty Harris,
one of the most colorful and best-known "single-
blanket jackass prospectors" of the Death Valley re-
gion. He was also the first settler in Rhyolite, Nevada.
Harrisburg, which was mainly a tent cit\', lasted for
only a few years. The chief source of gold in the dis-
trict was the Independent or Cashier mine, which had
an output valued at about S3 00,000.

Geology. There are several lenticular north- to
northwest-striking gold-bearing quartz veins in dolo-
mitic limestone. Granitic rocks also crop out in the
area. The ore contained free gold and some sulfides.
Much of the ore averaged about one ounce of gold
per ton, but the values do not extend to depths of
more than 150 feet.

Bibliography

Norman, L A., Jr., and Stewart, R. M., 1951, Inyo County, Inde-
pendent mine: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 47, p. 44.

Waring, C. A., 1919, Inyo County, Cashier mine: Californio Min.
Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 75-76.

High Grade

Location. The High Grade district is in northeast-
ern Modoc County near the California-Oregon border.
The district is on the crest of the Warner Mountains
about 10 miles northwest of Fort Bidwell and 50 miles
northeast of Alturas. It was known as the Hoag dis-
trict unril 1912.

History. This region was first settled in the 1850s.
Several Indian wars were fought in the area, and Fort
Bidwell was a U.S. Cavalry post from 1865 to 1892.
According to local legend a prospector named Hoag
found gold in the Warner Mountains northwest of the
fort. However, he was killed by Indians soon after
his discovery. Modoc County has a recorded gold
production from 1880 to 1885, which may have come
from this district.

Gold was rediscovered by a sheepherder in the
Warner Mountains in 1905. A boom lasted for a few
years, and as many as several hundred men were
employed in the mines. Intermittent prospecting and
development work continued through the 1920s and
1930s, and there has been minor work since. It is
doubtful if the district has yielded more than several
hundred thousand dollars worth of gold.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The rocks in the main
part of the district consist of white to yellow rhyolite
of Tertiary age. To the west and south is andesite,

150

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

and to the east is basalt, both of Miocene age. The
ore deposits consist of narrow, north- and northwest-
trending cpithermal veins and replacements in rhyolite.
The vein material consists of quartz, silicified and
brccciatcd country rock, and fault gouge. The ore
contains free gold, finely divided pyrite, and man-
ganese-stained material. A few veins in andesite con-
tain minor amounts of copper. None of the deposits
extends to a depth of more than a few hundred feet.
Mines. Blue Bell, Fort Bidwell Cons., Klondike,
Modoc, Nonhern Star, Sunset, Sunshine.

Bibliography

Averill, C. V., 1929, Modoc Counfy, gold: Colifornio Div. Minei
Rept. 25, pp. 10-19,

Averill, C. v., 1936, Modoc County, High-Grode diitrict: California
Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 448-451.

Gay, T. E., Jr., and Aune, Q. A., 1958, Alturoj sheet: California
Div. Mines, geologic mop of California.

Hill, Jomes M., 1915, High.Grode district: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull.
594.

Tucker, W. B., 1919, Modoc County, High Grade mining district:
Colifornio Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 241-250.

Lees Camp-Echo Canyon

These two small adjoining districts are in eastern
Death Valley National Monument in the Funeral
Mountains, near the Nevada-California border. Most
of small mines and prospects here have been idle for
many years. The deposits consist mainly of narrow
gold-quartz veins in metamorphic rocks of Precam-
brian age.

Bibliography

Jennings, C. W., 1958, Death Valley sheet: California Div. Mines
geologic map of California, Olof P. Jenkins edition.

Masonic

Location and History. The Masonic district, in
northeastern Mono County' near the Nevada line, ex-
tends into Nevada. It is 12 miles northeast of Bridge-
port and 16 miles northwest of Bodie. The region was
prospected for some years during and after the Corn-
stock rush of the early 1 860s, but valuable ore was not
discovered until 1902. The chief period of production
was 1907-10, although some activity continued
through the 1930s, and the Chemung mine has been
intermittently worked in recent years.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain by coarse-grained porphyritic granite and small
amounts of schist. Tertiary basalt and andesite sur-
round the area. The ore deposits are thick silicified
zones or veins in the granite that strike north, north-
west, or northeast. The ore consists of brecciated and
recemented chert, quartz, and chalcedony that con-
tains fine free gold. Pyrite and chalcopyrite are pres-
ent in places. The ore has an open porous appearance
and is often managancse-stained, and the values com-
monly appear in thin seams near the openings. Milling
ore usually contains less than one ounce of gold per
ton, but appreciable high-grade has been recovered.
None of the deposits has been developed to depths of
more than a few hundred feet.

Mines. Chemung $60,000, Home View, Lakeview,
Mavbcll, Perini, Pittsburg-Liberrv $700,000, Rough-
and-Rcad>-. Serita $500,000.

Bibliography

Boolich, E. S., 1923, Mono County, Masonic district: Colifornia Min.
Bur. Rept. 18, pp. 415-416.

Eakle, A. S., and McLoughlin, R. P., 1919, Mono County, Masonic
district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 160-165.

Modoc

Gold has been produced in the Modoc lead-silver
district, which is in southern Inyo County at the north
end of the Argus Range and about 10 miles east of
Darwin. The small mines and prospects here have
been idle for some time. The deposits consist of nar-
row quartz veins containing free gold, pyrite, galena,
and chalcopyrite. They occur in granitic rocks and
schist.

Patterson

Location and History. This is a gold-silver district
in the SweetAvater Mountains, in northern Mono
County about 15 miles north of Bridgeport. It in-
cludes the Silverado and Fryingpan Canyon areas. The
area was probably first prospected in the early 1860s,
but the principal period of mining acUNnt)' was 1880
to 1884, when more than $500,000 was produced. Set-
tlements that once existed in the district were Belfort,
Monte Cristo, and Star City. Some mining was done
in the district again in the early 1900s and 1930s, and
there has been some prospecting since.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain by various types of granitic rocks and andesite
and rhyolite. The gold- and silver-bearing deposits oc-
cur in north-trending veins of quartz and silicified
breccia that are up to 10 feet thick. The ore contains
pyrite, argentite, cerargyrite, and often abundant iron
oxides. In places, the ore was high in grade. Ore shoots,
with stoping lengths of up to several hundred feet,
were mined.

Mines. Anglo Mission, Frederick, Kentuck, Long-
street, Montague, Silverado, Star and Great Western,
Summers, Tiger.

Bibliography

Eokle, A. S., ond Mclaughlin, R. P., 1919, Mono County, Patterson
district: Colifornia Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 165-166.

Sampson, R. J., 1940, Mono County, Silverado and Kentuck mines:
California Div. Mines Rept. 36, pp. 145-146.

Rademacher

Location. This district is in northeastern Kern
County about 15 miles north of Randsburg and five
miles south of Ridgecrest. It was organized in the
1890s, and the most active period was in the early
1900s.

Geology. The area is underlain by Mesozoic gra-
nitic rocks containing small pendants of metamorphic
rocks and cut by many dikes. Acidic dikes are most
common to the east but become more basic to the
west. Numerous faults are present. A number of nar-
row, north-trending quartz veins often cut the dikes.
The ore contains free gold with varying amounts of

1970

Gold Districts — Basin Ranges

151

Photo 75. Town of Skidoo, Skidoo District. This 1907 view of the town, in Inyo County, looks east. Photo courtesy of Calif. Staie Library.

sulfides and manganese oxide. Milling-ore usually av-
erages Yz ounce or less of gold per ton, and the ore
shoots usually are narrow with short stoping lengths.
Mines. Apple Green, Bellflower, Broken Axle,
Butte, Crown Cons., Gold Bug, Gold Pass, Hillside,
Huntington, Indian Wells Valley, Jerry, Lehigh Val-
ley, Lost Keys, Northern View, Prize, Rademacher,
Red Wing, Stardust, Star Lode, Stellar Group, Town-
send, Vera Queens, White Star, Wildcat, Yellow
Treasure.

Bibliography

Troxel, B. W., and Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, Rademacher
mining district: California Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 1,
pp. 46-47.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1933, Kern County, Rademacher
mining district: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 284-285.

Russ

This district is in west-central Inyo County on the
west slope of the Inyo Alountains about nine miles
southeast of Independence. The largest source of gold
has been the Reward or Brown A'lonster group of
mines. The veins were discovered in 1878 and worked
steadily until 1914. The Reward mine was active again
during the 1930s and 1940s, and there has been some
work in the area since. The ore deposits are north-
west-striking quartz veins up to 12 feet thick, and the
ore contains free gold and often abundant sulfides.
Moderate amounts of lead, silver, and copper also have
been produced here. The district is underlain by
schist, slate, and limestone with granitic rocks to the
east.

Bibliography

Norman, L. A., Jr., and Stewart, R. M., 1951, Inyo County, Reward
mine: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 47, pp. 4&-49.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1938, Inyo County, Reward-
Brown Monster mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 34, pp. 386-388.

Skidoo

Location and History. Skidoo is in Death Valley
National Monument in east-central Inyo County. The
district is in the Panamint Mountains and includes the
Tucki Mountain area to the north. The town of Skidoo
was an important mining center from 1905 until
around 1917, with water reaching the area through
23 miles of pipe from Telescope Peak to the south.
Mining was done in the district again during the 1930s,
and there has been intermittent prospecting since. The
total production of the district has been estimated
at between $3 million and $6 million.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The area is underlain
by quartz monzonite and other granitic rocks. Schist,
dolomitic limestone, and gneiss of Precambrian age are
just to the east. The ore deposits consist of a number
of north- and northwest-striking quartz veins that con-
tain free gold and small amounts of pyrite. The veins
are chiefly in the quartz monzonite and most are only
a few feet thick. A number of high-grade pockets
have been found here.

Mines. Del Norte, Emigrant Springs, McBride,
Napoleon, Skidoo $1.5 million -f-. Sunset, Treasure
Hill, Tucki.

152

California Division of Mines and Gfology

Bull. 193

Bibliography

J^nnmgt, C. W., 19S8, Death Vallsy sheet: Colifornia Div. Mines
geologic mop of California, Olol P. Jenkins edition.

Norman, L. A., Jr., and Stewart, R. M., 1931, Inyo County, Skidoo
mine: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 47, p. 51.

Waring, C. A., 1 91 9, Inyo County. Skidoo mine: Californio Min. Bur.
Rept. IS, pp. 83-84.

Slate Range

The Slate Range district, in northwestern San Ber-
nardino and southen Inyo Counties, has sometimes
been knoun as the Arondo district. Gold occurs in
several places in the Slate Mountains, the principal
source apparently having been the Hafford mine. The
area is underlain by granite and schist. The deposits
consist of narrow quartz veins that contain small but
rich gold- and silver-bearing pockets. In places sulfides
are quite abundant.

Bibliography

DeGroot, Henry, 1890, Slate Range district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 10, p. 333.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1943, San Bernardino County,
Hafford mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 39, pp. 453-454.

Spangler

Spangler is in northw estern San Bernardino County
about 10 miles northeast of Johannesburg. Most of
the gold production has been from the Spangler mine,
which has been intermittently prospected and devel-
oped since the 1 890s. A number of narrow west-strik-
ing gold-quartz veins traverse granitic rock. Some of
the ore contained more than one ounce of gold per
ton.

Bibliography

Wright, L A., et ol, 1953, San Bernardino County, Spangler mine:
California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 49, p. 58.

Tibbetts

This district is in the Inyo Range in northern Inyo
County about 10 miles northeast of Independence. A
number of narrow quartz veins in Peleozoic metasedi-
ments and granitic rocks bear free gold and often
abundant sulfides. Placer deposits, including those of
Mazourka Canyon, were worked by dry placer
methods from 1894 until 1906. The area was pros-
pected again in the 1930s.

Bibliography

Tucker, W. B., and Sompson, R. J., 1948, Inyo County, Mazourka
Canyon placers: Californio Div. Mines Rept. 34, p. 411.

Ubehebe

Some gold has been produced in the Ubehebe cop-
per-lead-silver district. The district is in central Inyo
County about 75 miles east of Lone Pine. The chief
source of gold has been the Lost Burro mine, which
was worked from 1906 to 1917 and 1934 to 1942. The
value of its total output is about $100,000. The gold
occurs in a flat four-foot-thick vein of quartz, jasper,
and calcite that is near a contact bet%veen limestone

and granitic rocks. The gold occurs in the native state
with pyrite and chalcopyrite.

Bibliography

McAllister, J. F., 1953, Geology of mineral deposits in the Ubehebe
Peak quadrangle, California: Colifornia Div. Mines Spec. Rept. 42,
63 pp.

Waring, C. A., and Huguenin, Emile, 1919, Inyo County, lost Burro
mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 81-82.

White Mountains

Gold has been mined in several areas in the White
Mountains in southeastern Mono County. The streams
apparently were first placer-mined in the 1860s and
1870s, and lode deposits were discovered soon after-
ward. There has been intermittent development work
and prospecting since. The principal lode mines have
been the Sacramento and Twenty Grand mines. The
deposits consist of gold-quartz veins with considerable
sulfides in granitic rocks. Some schist and limestone
crop out in the area. The placer deposits are mostly
in the canyons on the west flank of the range.

Bibliography

Sampson, R. J., and Tucker, W. B., 1940, Mono County, gold: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines Rept. 36, pp. 120-140.

Wildrose

Some gold has been recovered from placer and lode
deposits in the Wildrose Canyon area in east-central
Inyo Count}'. The area, in the Panamint Mountains,
is part of Death Valley National Monument. Appar-
ently the main sources of lode gold have been the
Burro, Gem, and New Discovery mines, which were
active in the 1930s and 1940s. At these mines, there is
a series of northwest-striking quartz veins in granitic
rocks, schist, and gneiss. Most of the gold occurs in
sulfides, which are extremely abundant in places. The
placers were small and discontinuous.

Bibliography

Norman, L. A., Jr., and Stewart, R. M., 1951, Inyo County, Corona
(New Discovery and Gem) mine: California Jour. Mines and Geology,
vol. 47, pp. 40-41.

Sampson, R. J., 1932, Inyo County, Burro, New Discovery and Gem
mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 28, pp. 364-366.

Willow

This district is in southern Inyo County in the
Black Mountains about 15 miles west of Shoshone and
just east of Death Valley. The chief source of gold
has been the Ashford mine, which has a reported out-
put of $135,000, and the Confidence mine. A number
of gold-copper-quartz veins occur in gneiss and schist.
The deepest workings are about 375 feet. Some high-
grade ore has been recovered. The old Ashford mill in
Death Valley is now an historical exhibit.

Bibliography

Norman, L. A., Jr., and Stewart, R. M., 1951, Inyo County, Ashford
and Confidence mines: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 47,
pp. 39-40.

1970

Gold Districts — Mojave Desert

153

MOJAVE DESERT PROVINCE

Gold deposits are widely distributed throughout this
vast area in southeastern California. The Mojave
Desert is a broad interior region of mountain ranges
separated by expanses of desert plains. The western
part of the province is wedge-shaped with the Sierra
Nevada to the north and the Transverse Ranges to the
south. The primary deposits consist of either meso-
thennal gold-quartz veins that occur in metamorphic
and granitic rocks of Precambrian, Paleozoic, and
Mesozoic ages or epithermal deposits in zones of silici-
fication and brecciation in volcanic rocks of Tertiary
age.

The largest sources of gold in this province have
been the Rand and Mojave-Rosamond districts in Kern
County. Other important gold sources have been the
Dale and Stedman districts, San Bernardino County,
and the Cargo Muchacho-Tumco and Picacho districts
in Imperial County. Placer gold has been recovered in
quantity in several of the districts, considerable
amounts having come from dr}' desert placers. The
most productive dry placers have been in the Rand,
Cargo Muchacho, Chocolate Mountains, Picacho, and
Potholes districts. By-product gold has been recovered
from a number of silver, copper, lead, and zinc mines
in this province.

Alvord

Location. This district is in central San Bernardino
County about 35 miles northeast of Daggett. It is
named for the Alvord mine, the chief producer in the
district. Gold was discovered here in 1885, and the
Alvord mine has been intermittently worked ever
since.

Geology. The area is underlain by crystalline lime-
stone, granite, and in places by volcanic rocks. A sili-
ceous vein at the Alvord mine contains jasper, calcite,
hematite, pyrite, limonite, and free gold. Minor copper
mineralization is present. Ore mined in the past com-
monly yielded '/i ounce of gold or more per ton.

Bibliography

storms, W. B., 1893, Alvord mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 11,
pp. 359-360.

Wright, L. A., et al, 1953, Son Bernardino County, Alvord mine:
California Jour. Mines and Geol., vol. 49, p. 70.

Arica

The Arica district, in the Arica Mountains of north-
eastern Riverside County, also has been known as the
Onward district. The Brown and Lum-Gray mines,
the principal sources of gold, were active during the
early 1900s and again in the 1920s and 1930s. A num-
ber of gold-quartz veins occur in granite and schist.
Sulfides are extremely abundant, and the milling ore
was reported to have yielded as much as one ounce
of gold per ton. The Lum-Gray shaft is nearly 1000
feet deep.

Bibliography

Merrill, F. J. H., 1919, Riverside County, Arico Mountain district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 541-542.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1945, Riverside County, Brown
ond lum-Groy mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 41, pp. 128 ond 138.

Arrowhead

Location. The Arrowhead district is in eastern San
Bernardino County, 20 miles north-northwest of
Danby in the southwest end of the Providence Moun-
tains. The Hidden Hill mine was located in 1882. For
several years following, A^exican miners recovered rich
surface ores concentrated in arrastras. The Big Horn
mine was worked on a large scale in 1918-19, and
there was some activity during the 1920s and 1930s.

Geology. The principal rock in the district is
quartz monzonite, which is cut by numerous diorite
dikes, and in smaller amounts, quartzite and andesite.
The ore deposits occur in north-trending quartz veins
that are closely associated with the dikes. The ore
contains free gold, pyrite, and chalcopyrite. Among
the high-grade pockets found here, one 300-pound lot
of ore recovered at the Hidden Hill mine in 1915
yielded $13,000. The chief sources of gold have been
the Coarse Gold, Big Horn, and Hidden Hill mines.

Bibliography

Cloudmon, H. C, et al, 1919, Son Bernardino County, Arrowhead
district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 800-801.

DeGroot, Henry, 1890, Arrowheod district: California Min. Bur. Rept.
10, p. 532.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1943, San Bernardino County,
Big Horn mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 39, pp. 441-442.

Bendigo

The Bendigo or Riverside Mountain district is in the
northeast comer of Riverside County. Gold was dis-
covered here at the Mountaineer mine in 1898, and
mining continued until around 1920. Some work was
done in the district again in the 1930s. This region is
underlain by limestone and schist, which in places are
cut by diorite dikes. The ore bodies, replacement de-
posits that occur along limestone-schist contacts, con-
tain gold, copper, silver, and manganese. Some of the
ore deposits are as much as 15 feet thick, and extend
to depths of 200 feet.

Mines. Alice, Gold Dollar, Jacknife, Mountaineer
(Calzona), Morning Star, Steece.

Bibliography

Merrill, F. J. H., 1919, Riverside County, Bendigo district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 542-544.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1945, Riverside County, Moun-
taineer mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 41, p. 140.

Cargo Muchacho-Tumco

Location. This district is an extensive area in the
Cargo Muchacho Mountains in southeastern Imperial
Count>', seven miles north of Ogilby and 50 miles east
of El Centre. The district includes not only the area

154

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Pholo 76. Golden Cross Mine, Corgo Muchacho District. This view of the mine, at Tumco, Imperial County, looks west. The photo wos token

obout 1915.

known as the Cargo Muchacho district but also the
area known as the Tumco or Hedges mining district.

History. Mining was first done in this region by
Spaniards as early as 1780-81, when placers in Jack-
son Gulch and oxidized ores in Madre Valley were
worked. This is believed to have been the first gold
mined in California. Later, mining was resumed under
Mexican rule. The district received its name of Cargo
Muchacho, or Loaded Boy, when two young Mexican
boys came into camp one evening with their shirts
loaded with gold. American miners became interested
in this district soon after the end of the Mexican War
in 1848. Mining became firmly established in 1877 with
the completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad to
Yuma. Large-scale mining continued from around
1890 until 1916 and again from 1932 until 1941, with
intermittent activity since World War H.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The Cargo Muchacho
Mountains are composed of quartzites and schists that
have been intruded by granitic rocks. In places there
are andesite and dioritic dikes.

The gold deposits are on the west side of the range
and occur in both the metamorphic and granitic rocks.
They are tabular bodies with a definite hanging wall
or footwall but rarely both. The deposits consist of
quartz, calcite, sericite, and chlorite, and the values
are either native gold or auriferous sulfides. Appreci-
able amounts of silver and copper also have been re-
covered in the district. The deposits, usually striking
west, with a few north-strike exceptions, are up to
eight feet thick and have been mined to depths of as
much as 1000 feet. Appreciable high-grade ore was
found here.

Mines. American Boy, Amercian Girl (1 million.
Big Bear, Blossom, Butterfly, Cargo Muchacho $100,-

000-f , Coffee Pot, Colorado, Desert King, Golden
Cross $3 million+. Golden Queen, Guadaloupe,
Little Bear, Madre and Padre $100,000+, Ogilby
group, Pasadena, Sovereign, Vitrafax, White Cap.

Bibliography

Crawford, J. J., 1896, Cargo Muchacho district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 13, p. 333.

Henshaw, P. C, 1942, Geology and minerol deposits of the Cargo
Muchacho Mountains, Imperial County, California: California Div. Mines,
Rept. 38, pp. 147-196.

Merrill, F. J. H., 1916, Imperial County, Cargo Muchacho Range:
Californio Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 725-729.

Sompson, R. J., and Tucker, W. B., 1942, Gold — Imperial County:
California Div. Mines Rept. 38, pp. 112-126.

Tucker, W. B., 1926, Gold — Imperial County: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 22, pp. 253-261.

Chocolate Mountains

Gold has been recovered from the southeast end of
the Chocolate Mountains in eastern Imperial County
in an area east of Glamis, a stop on the Southern
Pacific Railroad. The district includes the area known
as the Mesquite mining district. The Paymaster lead-
silver and manganese mining district is just to the
north. This district was first prospected prior to 1900
both by quartz mining and small-scale dr>' placer
methods. During the 1930s, several unsuccessful short-
lived attempts were made to work the dr>' placer de-
posits on a large scale. Gold and silver associated with
iron oxides in quartz veins occur in granitic rocks. The
veins usually are narrow, but several high-grade pock-
ets have been discovered. The placer deposits occur
in the washes along the south and west flanks of the
range.

Mines. Desert Gold, Gold Basin, Gold Delta, Mary
Lode, Mesquite Lode, Peg Leg, Rainbow, Vista.

1970

Gold Districts — Mojave Desert

155

EXPLANATION

Alluvium

Granitic rock

STUD HTN.

GUADALOUPE^j « « « ^ «
,'V»HITE ,',",''

PASAOENA MTN.

Figure 28. Geologic Atep of Cargo Muchacho-Tumco District, Imperial County. Aher Henshaw, 7942, p/ote 2.

156

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

-^^v'-'i.r^^-'- •

Photo 77. Dry Plocer Mining, Coolgordie District. The photo was token in Son Bernordino County in the early 19008. Photo courtesy o/ O. A.

Ruiselt, Yermo.

Bibliography

Sampson, R. J., and Tucker, W. B., 1942, Imperial County, gold:
California Div. Mines Rept. 38, pp. 112-126.

Chuckwalla

Location and History. The Chuckwalla district is
in the Chuclavalla Mountains of southeastern River-
side County, south of Desert Center. This district at
one time was also known as the Pacific mining district.
It was organized some time in the 1880s, and mining
continued through the early 1900s. There was activity
here again in the 1930s, when the Red Cloud and other
mines were worked.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The region is under-
lain by granitic rocks and gneiss. The gold-quartz
veins often contain abundant pyrite and copper, lead,
and silver minerals. A number of high-grade pockets
have been recovered. Several of the veins have mined
to depths of about 350 feet.

Mines. Baumonk, Bryan, Coffee, Granite, Great
Western, Lost Pony, Model, Red Cloud 1 100,000+,
Sterling, Sunnyside.

Bibliography

Merrill, F. J. H., 1919, Riverside County, Chuckwolla district: Coli-
fornio Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 538-540.

Orcutt, C. R., 1890, Pacific mining district: Colifornio Min. Bur.
Rept. 10, pp. 900-901.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1945, Riverside County, Red Cloud
mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 41, pp. 141-142.

Clark

Location and History. This district is in north-
eastern San Bernardino County in the Clark Mountains
about 35 miles northeast of Baker. Gold and other
metals have been mined here since the early 1860s,
and the mining district was organized in 1865. The
mountains were named for Senator William A. Clark,
the "copper king" of Montana. The gold mines were
worked intermittently until the 1930s, and there has
been prospecting since. The Mountain Pass mine lo-
cated here is now an important source of rare earth
minerals.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain by a belt of limestone and dolomite in the central
portion, with quartzite to the west and granite and
gneiss to the east. The gold-bearing deposits consist of
quartz and barite veins or mineralized breccia, the
latter occurring in shear zones in gneiss that commonly
are associated with rhyolitic dikes. The ore contains
auriferous pyrite and chalcopyrite. Milling-grade ore
usually averages 1/5 ounce of gold per ton. In this
district the metal-bearing deposits are associated with
major thrust zones that extend northward along the
entire mountain ma.ss.

Mines. Benson, Birthday, Colosseum, Green, Mo-
hawk, Sulphide Queen, Taylor.

Bibliography

Hewett, D. P., 1956, Geology and mineral resources of the Ivonpah
quadrangle, Colifornio ond Nevodo: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper
275, 172 pp.

1970

Gold Districts — Mojave Desert

157

Wright, L. A., Stewort, R. M., Goy, T. E., Jr., and Hazenbush, G. C,
1953, San Bernardino County, gold: California Jour. Mines and Geol.,
vol. 49, pp. 69-86.

Coolgardie

This is a dry-placer mining district in western San
Bernardino County about 15 miles northwest of Bar-
stow. The area was mined intermittently from around
1900 to 1915, with a total output valued at about
$100,000. The principal operator was the Cool Gardie
Mining Company, which operated a battery of gaso-
line-powered dry washers. Several two-man operations
employed single dry washers or rockers (see photo
77). Minor prospecting was done in the district dur-
ing the 1920s and 1930s. The deposits are in a broad
valley; the gold apparently was derived from veins in
granitic rocks that are to the east and northeast.

Bibliography

Cloudman, H. C, Huguenin, E., ond Merill, F. J. H., 1919, San Ber-
nardino County Cool Gardie: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, p. 817.

Loizure, C. McK, 1934, San Bernardino County, Coolgardie; Califor-
nia Min. Bur. Rept. 30, p. 250.

Dale

Location and History. The Dale or Virginia Dale
gold-mining district is in southern San Bernardino and
northern Riverside County about 18 miles east of
Twentynine Palms. It includes the area known as the
Pinto Basin mining district. The first claims here were
apparently located in the early 1880s, but the district
was not too productive until the 1890s. There was
moderate activity during the early 1900s and 1920s,
increasing in the 1930s and early 1940s, when the Gold
Crown, Supply, Virginia Dale, and Carlyle mines were
active. A little work has been done since.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain by a variety of rocks, which includes granite,
quartz diorite, banded gneiss, andesite porphyry and
schist. The quartz veins contain native gold, varying
amounts of sulfides and iron minerals, and silver is

abundant in some deposits. The veins are up to 10
feet thick and have been mined to depths of as much
as 1200 feet. Several high-grade pockets have been
uncovered.

Mines. San Bernardino County: Brooklyn $150,-
OOO-f, Carlyle $125,000+, Exchequer, Gypsy, Im-
perial, Ivanhoe, Iron Age, Supply $500,000-f,
Thelma, Virginia Dale. Riverside County: Cow Bell,
Dalton, Duplex, Gold Crown $385,000, Gold Rose,
Gold Standard, Golden Rod, Los Angeles, Louise,
Mission, O.K. $200,000, Outlaw, Pinto, Zulu Queen.

Bibliography

Cloudmon, H. C, 1919, San Bernardino County, Dale mining dis-
trict: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 801-803.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1930, Gold— San Bernardino
County: California Div. Mines Rept. 26, pp. 221-260.

Wright, L. A., Stewort, R. M., Gay, T. E., Jr., Hazenbush, G. C, 1953,
Gold — Son Bernardino County: California Jour. Mines and Geology,
vol. 49, pp. 69-86.

Dos Palmas

Dos Palmas is in the Orocopia Mountains northeast
of the Salton Sea. Some mining was done here in the
1890s, and the area has been prospected since. Several
narrow gold-quartz veins occur in gneiss, schist, and
granitic rocks. There have been considerable shearing
and faulting in the area; the San Andreas fault zone
extends southeast along the side of the Salton Sea.

Mines. Charity, Dos Palmas, Fish, Free Coinage,

Messenger.

Bibliography

Merrill, F. J. H., 1919, Riverside County, gold: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 15, p. 541.

Eagle Mountains

The Eagle Mountains are in eastern Riverside
County. Although this district is best known as a
major source of iron ore, it has also yielded some gold,
silver, lead, and copper. The principal source of gold
has been the Iron Chief mine, which has an estimated
total production of $150,000. The gold and base metal
deposits occur either as replacements along limestone-

Gold Crown Mine, Dale District. This view of the .i.m.c, in ki.c.iu
about 1936. Photo by W. B. Tocke

looks east. The photo was token in

158

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

granite contacts or in fissure veins in either granitic
or metamorphic rocks.

Bibliography

Tuckar, W. B., 1945, Riv«r«!d« County, Iron Chief mine: Cotifornio
Div. MInm Rapt. 41, p. 136.

Emerson Lake

Several mines and prospects lie west of Emerson
Lake, which is in southern San Bernardino County
about 25 miles northwest of Twentynine Palms. The
principal gold sources have been the Emerson and
Los Padre mines. The deposits consist of parallel veins
in gneiss and granitic rocks, and the ore occurs as
small but rich pockets, usually near the surface. Sev-
eral high-grade pockets containing wire gold have
been found here.

Bibliography

Tucker, W. B., end Sampion, R. J., 1940, Son Bernordino County,
Lot Padre mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 36, p. 70.

Gold Reef

This district is in the Clipper Mountains in east-
central San Bernardino County about five miles north-
west of Danby. Gold was discovered here in 1915, and
there was considerable activity for a few years follow-
ing. Several wide gold-bearing quartz-calcite veins
occur in fault zones in volcanic rocks of Miocene age.
The ore-bearing zones are as much as 50 feet thick
and 1 500 feet long. The principal sources of gold have
been the Clipper Mountain, Gold Reef, and Tom
Reed mines.

Bibliography

Tuclier, W. B., 1921, San Bernardino County, gold: Colifornia Min.
Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 345-346.

Goldstone

The Goldstone district is in northwestern San Ber-
nardino Count)' about 35 miles north of Barstow, in
what is now the U.S. Naval Ordnance Test Station,
Aiojave Range. The district was active in 1915 to 1918,
in the 1920s, and again just before World War II.
There are several shallow gold-quartz veins in lime-
stone, siliceous shales, and associated diorite dikes.
Several high-grade pockets have been discovered.
Copper and silver also are present.

Bibliography

Cloudmon, H. C, e> of., 1919, San Bernardino County, Goldstone
district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 804-807.

Grapevine

There are several small lode-gold mines, prospects
and dry placer deposits in an area known as the
Grapevine district. It is in the Paradise Mountains in
western San Bernardino County about 15 miles north
of Barstow. A number of quartz veins in granitic rocks
contain free gold, and copper and manganese minerals.
The veins are narrow and the deposits are shallow.
The Olympus mine apparently in the only property

that has had much development work. Also the well-
known Waterman silver mine is here.

Bibliography

Wright, I. A., Stewart, R. M., Cay, T. E., Jr., and Hoxenbush, G. C,
1953, Son Bernardino County, Olympus mine: California Jour. Mines
and Geol., vol. 49, p. 76.

Hackberry Mountain

Gold and copper have been mined in the Hack-
berry Mountain- Von Trigger Spring area of eastern
San Bernardino County, about 25 miles south of Ivan-
pah. The principal sources of production have been
the Leiser Ray, True Blue, and Von Trigger mines.
The mines were intermittently worked from the 1890s
through the 1940s, but the most productive period
was 1904 to 1915. The deposits consist either of min-
eralized shear zones or gold- and copper-bearing
quartz veins in gneiss and schist. Yellow cuprodescloi-
zite, a rare vanadium-bearing mineral, has been found
at the Leiser Ray mine.

Bibliography

Hewett, D. F., 1956, Geology and mineral resources of the Ivanpoh
quadrangle, California and Nevada: U. S. Geological Survey Prof.
Paper 275, 172 pp.

Ver Planck, W. E., 1961, History of mining in northeastern Son
Bernardino County: California Div. Mines Mineral Inf. Service, vol. 14,
no. 9.

Holloron Springs

Halloran Springs is in northeastern San Bernardino
Count}' about 12 miles northeast of Baker. Indians
mined turquoise here in prehistoric times. The area
was probably prospected for gold during the 1890s.
The Telegraph mine, the principal gold source in
the district, with an output of $100,000, was discov-
ered in 1930. The ore deposits consist of gold-quartz
veins, up to eight feet thick in quartz monzonite and
consisting either of massive and banded quartz or ce-
mented silicified breccia. The ore contains native gold
and often abundant chalcopyrite and bomite. Some
of the ore is extremely rich.

Bibliography

Hewett, D. F., 1956, Geology and mineral resources of the Ivonpah
quadrangle: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 275, 172 pp.

Wright, L. A., Stewort, R. M., Gay, T. E., Jr., and Hozenbush, G. C,
1953, Son Bernardino County, gold: California Jour. Mines ond Geol.,
vol. 49, pp. 69-86.

Hart

The Hart or Castle Mountain mining district is in
northeastern San Bernardino Count>' about 15 miles
east of Ivanpah near the Nevada border. Gold was
discovered here in 1907, and the area flourished for a
few years. For a time it was served by the Santa Fe
Railroad's branch to Searchlight, Nevada. There was
some activity again during the 1930s. The principal
sources of gold were the Oro Belle, Valley View, and
Hart Consolidated mines. The ore deposits consist of
breccia zones along which the wall rock is silicified.
The deposits contain pyrite and native gold in small
grains and wires. Country rock consists of rhyolite
flows, tuff, and breccia of late Tertiary age.

1970

Gold Districts — Mojave Desert

159

Photo 79. Exposed Treasure Mine, Mojave District. The photo shows the

Kern County, in about 1914.

Bibliography

Hewett, D. F., 1956, Geology and mineral resources of the Ivanpah
quadrangle, California and Nevada: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper
275, 172 pp.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1943, Son Bernardino County,
Valley View mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 39, p. 464.

Ibex

The Ibex district is in eastern San Bernardino
County about 15 miles north of Needles. The Ibex or
Gold Ridge mine, the principal source of gold, was
active in the 1880s and 1890s. The deposits consist of
massive quartz veins in gneiss and schist containing
free gold and varying amounts of sulfides.

Bibliography

Miller, W. J., 1944, Geology of the Needles-GofFs region, San Ber-
nardino County: California Div. Mines Rept. 40, pp. 113-129.

Ivanpah

Location and History. The Ivanpah mining district
is in northeastern San Bernardino County about 35
miles northeast of Baker and south of the Mountain
Pass-Qark Mountain area. The district includes the
mines in both the Ivanpah Range and the Mescal
Range, which is just to the west. Gold mining began
here at least as early as 1882, when the Mollusk mine
was opened. Moderate mining activity continued in
the district until about 1915, and there was some work
again in the 1930s.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The western part of
the district is underlain predominantly by limestone
and dolomite, with smaller amounts of shale, sand-
stone and dacite. To the east is granite and gneiss, and
to the south is quartz monzonite. The gold deposits
are in quartz veins or mineralized breccia, which occur
chiefly in granitic rocks or gneiss, although the Mol-
lusk vein is in dolomite. Other mineral commodities
in the district are silver, copper, tungsten, tin, barite,
fluorspar, and rare earths. As in the Clark mining

district to the north, the metal-bearing deposits are
associated with several major thrust fault zones.

Mines. Kewanee, Mollusk $250,000, Morning Star,
New Era, Teutonia.

Bibliography

Hewett, D. f., 1956, Geology and mineral resources of the Ivanpah
quadrangle, Colifornia and Nevada: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper
275, 172 pp.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1943, San Bernardino County,
gold: California Div. Mines Rept. 39, pp. 438-465.

Wright, L. A., Stewart, R. M., Gay, T. E., Jr., and Hazenbush, G. C,
1953, San Bernardino County, gold: California Jour. Mines and Geo!.,
vol. 49, pp. 69-86.

Mojave-Rosamond

Location. The Mojave-Rosamond district is in
southeastern Kern County. The gold deposits are as-
sociated with the five prominent buttes south of the
town of Mojave and west and north of the town of
Rosamond.

History. Gold was discovered in the Yellow Rover
vein on Standard Hill by George Bowers in 1894, and
soon afterward other discoveries were made. Activity
continued until about 1910 but waned over the next
20 years. The Cactus Queen mine was discovered in
1934, and from 1931 until 1941 mining was done in
the district on a major scale. The mines were shut
down during World War II, but there has been some
activity since. The Tropico mine is now an historical
museum and a popular tourist attraction. The district
is estimated to have had a total gold and silver output
valued at $23 million.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The principal rocks are
Tertiary rhyolite, rhyolite porphyry and quartz la-
tite, which are underlain by Mesozoic quartz monzo-
nite. All the ore deposits are associated with the five
prominences (fig. 29), the most important of which,
both in productivity and in the number of deposits,
is Soledad Mountain. The ore occurs in epithermal

160

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

WINKLER • A •>

CiCTUS «>A' ■ jI' ■ 'W.,
QUEEN A .i,'.Mi-J.',^r"

figure 29. GMJogic Map of Mojave-Rosamond Diilrirt, Kern County. Ah»r Troxtl and Morion, 1962. and Dibblm; 1963.

1970

Gold Districts — Mojave Desert

161

fissure veins that occupy brecciated and sheared zones
in the rhyolitic rocks. The ore contains finely divided
gold, wirii appreciable amounts of silver minerals, in-
cluding cerargyrite, argentite, and smaller amounts of
proustite, pyrargyrite, and electrum. Pyrite, arseno-
pyrite, galena, and chalcopyrite also are present. The
ore shoots range from a few feet to 40 feet in thick-
ness, and are up to 200 feet long. The veins have been
developed to depths of 1000 feet. Milling ore usually
averaged about V^ ounce of gold per ton, but some
rich ore shoots were worked in the earlier mining
operations.

Mines. Burton-Brite-Blank, Cactus, Cactus Queen
$5 million-|-. Double Eagle, Crescent, Elephant
$200,000 to $400,000, Excelsior, Golden Queen (in-
cludes Echo and Gray Edge, Queen Ester and Silver
Queen) $10 million-f. Middle Butte $150,000-|-,
Milwaukee, Pride of Mojave, Quien Sabe, Standard
group (Desert Queen, Exposed Treasure and Yellow
Rover) $3.5 million, Tropico 114,000 ounces, Weg-
man group (Eureka, Karma and Monarch) $100,-
000-1-, Western, Whitmore, Winkler, Yellow Dog
58004- ounces.

Bibliography

Bateson, G. E. W., 1907, The Mojave mining district of Colifornio:
Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Engrs., vol. 37, pp. 160-177.

Brown, G. C, 1916, Kern County, Mojave district: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 14, p. 483.

Dibblee, T. W., Jr., 1963, Geology of the Willow Springs and Rosa-
mond quadrangles, California: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1089-C, pp.
141-253.

Simpson, E. C, 1934, Geology and mineral resources of the Elizabeth
lake quadrangle: California Div. Mines Rept. 30, pp. 371-415.

Tucker, W. B., 1923, Kern Coounty, Mojave mining district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 19, pp. 156-164.

Troxel, B. W., ond Morton, P. K., 1962, Mojave mining district:
California Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 1, pp. 43-45.

Tucker. W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1933, Kern County, Mojave
mining district: California Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 283-284.

Tucker, W. B., 1935, Mining activity at Soledad Mountain and Middle
Buttes-Mojove mining district: California Div. Mines Rept. 31, pp.
465-485.

Tucker, W. B., Sampson, R. J., and Oakeshott, G. B., 1949, Kern
County, Golden Queen Mining Company: California Jour. Mines and
Geology, vol. 45, pp. 220-223.

Mule Mountains

The Mule Mountains district, which has also been
known as the Hodges Mountain district, is in south-
eastern Riverside County about 20 miles southwest of
Blythe. Some gold and copper were recovered here
years ago from several mines and prospects, the most
productive of which were the Roosevelt and Rainbow
group of mines. Native gold, pyrite, and chalcopyrite
occur in quartz veins in granitic rock.

Bibliography

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1945, Riverside County, Roosevelt
and Rainbow group of mines: California Div. Mines Rept. 41, pp.
142-143.

Old Dad

This district is in the Old Dad Mountains, which
are in northeastern San Bernardino County about 12
miles east of Baker. Gold was discovered here in the
1 890s, and the area has been intermittently mined ever

since, with considerable activity during the 1930s and
early 1940s. The district is underlain b^ gneiss, quartz-
ite, limestone, and granitic rocks. The ore deposits
consist of quartz veins ranging from one to six feet
in thickness that occur chiefly in granitic gneiss or
quartzite. The ore bodies contain native gold, fine-
grained auriferous pyrite, abundant iron oxide, and
small amounts of other sulfides. Appreciable amounts
of high-grade ore have been taken from this district.

Mines. Brannigan $100,000-|-, Lucky, Paymaster
$100,000, OroFino.

Bibliography

Hewett, D. F., 1956, Geology and mineral resources of the Ivanpah
quadrangle: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 275, 172 pp.

Ver Planck, W. E., 1961, History of mining in northeastern Son
Bernardino County: California Div. Mines Mineral Inf. Service, vol. 14,
no. 9.

Wright, L. A., Stewart, R. M., Gay, T. E., Jr., and Hozenbush, G. C,
1953, Son Bernardino County, gold: California Jour. Mines and Geol.,
vol. 49, pp. 69-86.

Old Woman

The Old Woman Mountains in eastern San Ber-
nardino County have yielded some gold, the main
sources being the Blue E^gle and Long Shot mines,
which were active during the 1930s. Native gold and
often abundant sulfides occur in quartz veins in gra-
nitic rocks. Most of the deposits are only a few tens
of feet deep.

Bibliography

Wright, L A., Stewart, R. M., Gay, T. E., Jr., and Hozenbush, G. C,
1953, San Bernardino County, gold tabulated list: California Jour.
Mines and Geology, vol. 49, p. 259.

Ord

Location and History. The Ord district is in west-
central San Bernardino County in the Ord and New-
berry Mountains, about 20 miles southeast of Barstow.
The mountains were named for Major General E.O.C.
Ord of Civil War fame. The district was organized
around 1870, and intermittent development work con-
tinued for many years after. There was some work
done here again in the 1930s. Although the district is
reported to have been a small producer, there are
many mines and prospects.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The region is underlain
by granite and quartz monzonite and a variety of Ter-
tiary volcanic rocks that include basalt, andesite, and
rhyolite. The gold-quartz veins are confined to the
granitic rocks and often are associated with dikes. The
ore bodies contain abundant sulfides and iron oxide.
Appreciable amounts of copper and silver minerals
are present in places. There are a few placer deposits.

Mines. Alarm, Azucar, Black Butte, Camp Rock
(placer), Cumberland, Elsie, Gold Banner, Gold Belt,
Gold Brick, Gold Peak, Grand view, Haney and Lee,
Hoover, Johnson, Luckv Strike, New Deal, Old, Ord
Belt, Red Hill, Riley.

Bibliography

Cloudman, H. C, et al, 1919, San Bernardino County, Ord district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 808-810.

162

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 80. Picocho Mine, Picacho District. Picacho Peak rises in the right background in this 1921 view of the mine, in Imperial County.
Photo by Ralph Baverstock, from cotlection of Dr. Horace Pttrl(Br.

Gardner, D. L., 1940, Geology of the Newberry and Ord Mountains,
Son Bernardino County: California Div. Mines Repl. 36, pp. 257-292.

Tucker, W. B., and Sompson, R. J., 1940, Economic mineral deposits
of the Newberry and Ord Mountains, San Bernardino County: Califor-
nia Div. Mines Rept. 36, pp. 232-240.

Weber, F. Harold, Jr., 1963, Geology and mineral deposits of the
Ord Mountain district. Son Bernardino County: California Div. Mines
and Geology Spec. Rept. 77, 45 pp.

Ore Grande

Location. This district is in southwestern San Ber-
nardino County, in the vicinity of the town of Oro
Grande, about five miles north of Victorville and 45
miles north of San Bernardino. The gold mines were
active during the 1880s, early 1900s and again in the
1930s. Large amounts of cement are produced here
now.

Geology and Ore Deposits. Most of the deposits
are in the hills northeast of Oro Grande. According to
Bowen (1954), the area is underlain by schist, quartz-
ite and limestone of the Oro Grande series (Carbo-
niferous); dacite, rhyolite, and latite of the Side-
winder volcanic Series (Triassic (?)); and quartz
monzonite. The quartz veins are narrow, and the ore
bodies usually are small and irregular. Most of the ore
has come from the oxidized zone near the surface, but
a few high-grade pockets have been found in the veins.
The ore contains free gold and often abundant sul-
fides, including p\rite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and
bornitc. The Carbonate mine has yielded appreciable
amounts of gold- and silver-bearing lead carbonate.

Mines. Apex, Branch, Carbonate, Dents Grand-
view Lode, Gold Bullion, Gold King, Oro Grande I
and II, Sidewinder, Western States.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., Jr., 1954, Geology and mineral deposits of the Bar-
stow quadrangle, California: Calif. Div. Mines Bull. 165, pp. 123-134.

Picacho

Location. The Picacho district is in southeastern
Imperial County about 50 miles east of El Centro and
20 miles north of Yuma, Arizona. The Colorado River
is on the north side of the district, and the Chocolate
Mountains extend along the southwest margin. The dis-
trict was named for Picacho Peak, a prominent land-
mark in the area.

History. Spaniards, developing the nearby Cargo
Muchacho and Potholes districts, probably mined the
Picacho district as early as 1780. For many years, Mexi-
cans and Indians mined the area by small-scale dry
washing methods. Small hand-operated bellows-type
washers were employed, or winnowing was done with
blankets. Virtually every dry wash in the region was
worked in this fashion, and many small tailings piles
from these operations are still visible. Attempts were
made to hydraulic the area during the 1890s.

The Picacho or Picacho Basin mine, the largest
source of gold in the district, was worked on a large
scale from 1904 to 1910. The reported output was $2
million. During this operation the ore was treated in
a mill near the Colorado River. The mine was sampled
in the 1930s, but there has been only minor prospect-
ing in the district since, and the site of the old town
of Picacho on the river was recently made into a state
recreation area.

1970

QoLD Districts — Mojave Desert

163

Geology The central part of the district, which is
in a shallow basin, is underlain by interbedded granitic
rocks and mica and hornblende schists. A number of
diorite dikes may be associated with the gold mineral-
ization. The ridges surrounding the basin and Picacho
Peak are composed of andesite, rhyolite, and rhyolite
tuff.

Ore Deposits. The ore deposits consist of parallel
thin gold-bearing stringers in schist. Although the ore
bodies at the Picacho mine contained only a few dol-
lars of gold per ton, several were quite large. The last
ore shoot worked at this mine was 250 feet long and
160 feet wide. The placer deposits in the various dry
washes usually were shallow and discontinuous. The
gold particles were very fine.

Bibliography

Crawford, J. J., 1894, California Picacho mine: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 12, p. 238.

Crawford, J. J., 1896, Picacho Basin: California Min. Bur. Repl. 13,
p. 343.

Merrill, F. J. H., 1916, Imperial County, Picacho: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 14, pp. 729-731.

Potholes
This district is in the southeast comer of Imperial
County about 50 miles east of El Centro and 10 miles
northeast of Yimia, Arizona, near the Colorado River
and west of the Laguna Dam. Nearly all of the gold
produced here has come from dry desert placer de-
posits. The value of the total output is estimated at $2

million. The district was so named because the gold
was found in small depressions or pots.

Small-scale mining began here in 1775-80, when
California was under Spanish rule, and continued into
the early 1800s when the state was under Mexican
rule. The most productive period, apparentiy from
the 1860s to the early 1890s, saw as many as 500 Mexi-
cans and Indians working the dry washes. Win-
nowing was with blankets, and, later, hand-operated
bellows-type dry washers were employed. Nearly all
of these were one or two-man operations. When a
deposit was worked out the miners would move on to
another one, usually in the same district. These oper-
ations had mostly ceased by 1900, as the deposits were
largely exhausted.

Later, several attempts were made here and in the
Cargo Muchacho and Chocolate Mountain districts to
the west to work the dry placers by large-scale meth-
ods. All of these attempts failed because of high equip-
ment and operating costs, erratic distribution of gold
values, rough terrain, and scant moisture, which even
in desert placers, makes it difficult to separate the
heavy and light particles. Also, much of the easily
recoverable gold had already been removed from these
deposits.

Bibliography

Crawford, J. J., 1894, Pot Holes Mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 12,
p. 242.

Haley, C. S., 1923, Dry placers — Gold placers of California: Call-
fornia Min. Bur. Bull. 92, pp. 154-160.

W. B. Tucker, 1926, Imperial County, Potholes placer: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 22, p. 261.

-^irra

;^#?i5ri-a2SB»8«R v.-,?Wr.

Photo 81. Gold Concentrating Mill, Colorado River. Steam powered this mill on the Arizona side of the Colorado River
In the early 1900s. Picacho Peak Is in the left background.

1«4

GiuFORNiA Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 82. Yellow Aster Mine, Rand District. The Yellow Aster, in Kern County, yielded more thon $12 million in gold. The

ground, the town of Rondsburg in the foreground.

ne ii in the boclc-

Rand

Location. The Rand or Randsburg district lies
athwart the Kern-San Bernardino County line in the
\acinity of the town of Randsburg, about 40 miles
northeast of Mojave and 30 miles north of Kramer.
The western part of the district, in Kern County, has
been chiefly a source of gold, while the eastern part, in
San Bernardino County, has been largely a source of
silver. The Atolia tungsten district is just to the south-
east (fig. 30).

History. Although this region was prospected as
early as the 1860s, it was not until placer gold was
discovered in 1893 in Goler Wash, in the El Paso
Mountains 15 miles to the west, that there was any
mineral production. Numerous short-lived dry-wash-
ing camps soon sprang up in the entire region. The
Yellow Aster mine, originally known as the Olympus,
was located in 1895. Other discoveries were made,
and the rich ore recovered in these early operations
led to a gold rush. The district was named for the
Rand district in South Africa. The ore was first
shipped out for treatment, but a 100-stamp mill was
erected at the Yellow Aster mine in 1901 and other
mills were built soon afterward. During the early days
some difficulty was encountered in concentrating the
gold because of the presence of "heavy spar" or
scheelite.

Large-scale gold mining continued until 1918. The
famous and highly productive Kelly or California
Rand silver mine was discovered in 1919 and was op-
erated on a major scale through the 1930s. Gold pro-
duction from the district was substantial in the 1930s
and early 1940s, and there has been intermittent pros-
pecting and development work since. The total gold
output of the district is estimated at more than J20

million. During the rvvo world wars and the Korean
War, Atolia was the source of large amounts of tung-
sten ore. From 1897 until 1933 Randsburg was served
by a branch of the Santa Fe Railroad, which extended
north from the main line at Kramer.

Geology. The principal rocks underlying the dis-
trict are the Precambrian Rand Schist and the Atolia
Quartz Monzonite of Mesozoic age. The Rand Schist
is chiefly biotite schist with smaller amounts of am-
phibolite and quartzite. To the east are poorly con-
solidated clays, sandstones, and conglomerates of con-
tinental origin, which are overlain by andesite at Red
Mountain. Rhyolite and latite intrusives are in the
east-central part of the district.

Ore Deposits. Most of the lode-gold deposits are
in veins that occur along faults, except at the Yellow
Aster mine, where the gold is in a series of closely
spaced veinlets in small fractures. The majority of the
gold deposits are in the schist, which is more wide-
spread than the quartz monzonite, and nearly all are
in an area where the rocks have been colored a pale
red by iron o.xides (fig. 30). The veins are unoriented
but usually have a well-defined hanging wall.

The ore bodies most commonly occur in the vein
footwalls, usually at or near vein intersections or in
sheared and brecciated zones. The ore consists of iron
oxide-stained brecciated and silicified rock containing
native gold in fine grains and varying amounts of
sulfides. The sulfides increase at depth, but the gold
values decrease. Most mining has stopped where un-
oxidized sulfides were found in the veins, and the
maximum depth of development is 600 feet. Milling
ore contains from Vt to A ounce of gold per ton.
The high-grade ore nearly always occurs in pockets
near the surface. Most of the placer gold has been

1970

Gold Districts — Mojave Desert

165

K -

S-| ^^i||y] Alluviun

< Iv V V v'

Andesite, rhyolite, latife

'" \ ' ^-■T:'^ C°yi sandstone, conglomerate

KE3

Atolia Quartz Monzonite
Rand Schist

E ^«.. Boundary of rocks colored

'" pole red by iron oxides.

Figure 30. Geologic AAop of Rand District, Kern and San Bernardino Counties. After Hulin, 1925, plafe 1, and Troxel and Morton, 1962,

166

Cauf(mu«a Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

1970

Gold Districts — Mojave Desert

167

pKV'

Photo 84. Town of Rondsburg, Kern County. This winter view, token in the early 1900s, loolcs east.

recovered from dry placers at Stringer or in the Rand
Mountains north of Randsburg.

Mines. Arizona, Baltic $50,000, Barnett, Beehive,
Big Dike $200,000, Big Gold $500,000, Black Hawk
$700,000, Buckboard $500,000, Bully Boy $120,000,
Butte $2 million, California, Consolidated $50,000,
Culbert, Gold Crown, Granton, Gunderson, Hawkeye,
Hercules, King Solomon $500,000, Little Butte $400,-
000, Lucky Boy $120,000, Merced, Minnehaha $100,-
000, Mizpah Montana, Monarch Rand, New Deal,
Operator Divide $600,000, Pestle, Pinmore, Red Bird,
Santa Ana group $400,000, Sidney $250,000, Snow-
bird, Sunshine $1.06 million. Windy, Winnie, Yellow
Aster $12 million.

Bibliography

Brown, G. Chester, 1916, Kern County, Randsburg district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 483-484.

Cooper, C. L., 1936, Mining and Milling methods and costs at the
Yellow Aster mine: U. S. Bur. Mines, Inf. Circ. 6900, 21 pp.

Hess, F. L., 1909, Gold mining in the Randsburg quadrangle: U. S.
Geol. Survey Bull. 430, pp. 23-47.

Hulin, Carleton D., 1925, Geology and ore deposits of the Randsburg
quadrangle: California Min. Bur. Bull. 95, 152 pp.

Mulin, Carleton D., 1934, Dry placers of the Mojave Desert: California
Div. Mines Rept. 30, pp. 417-426.

Newman, M. A., 1923, The Rand district: California Min. Bur. Rept.
19, pp. 61-63.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1933, Randsburg district: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines Rept. 29, pp. 285-286.

Storms, W. H., 1909, Geology of the Yellow Alter mine: Eng. and
Min. Jour., vol. 87, pp. 1277-1280.

Troxel, B. W., and Morton, P. K., 1962, Kern County, Rand district:
California Div. Mines and Geology, County Rept. 1, pp. 47-51.

Tucker, W. B., 1923, Kern County, Randsburg district: California Min
Bur. Rept. 19, pp. 165-171.

Wynn, M. R., 1949, Desert Bonanza, M. W. Samuelson, publisher.
Culver City, California, 263 pp.

Shadow Mountains

Small amounts of gold have been mined in the
Shadow Mountains in northeastern San Bernardino
County. Gold was discovered here in 1894, and there
was some activity for a few years following. There
are several quartz veins in granitic gneiss that are asso-
ciated with aplitic dikes. The ore deposits contain na-
ture gold and varying amounts of copper.

Bibliography

Crawford, J. J., Shadow Mountain district: California Min. Bur. Rept.
13, p. 328.

Stedman

Location and History. This district, in south-cen-
tral San Bernardino County about eight miles south of
Ludlow, has also been known as the Rochester or
Buckeye mining district. Much of the production has
been from the Bagdad-Chase or Pacific gold-copper
mine. This mine has been the source of more than
$6 million worth of gold.

The principal periods of mining activity were 1904
to 1910, when the Badgdad-Chase Mining Company
shipped gold ore to a cyanide plant at Barstow, and
1910 to 1916, when Pacific Mines Corporation shipped
gold-copper ore to Jerome, Arizona. During those
years, Rochester, the principal town, and the mines
were served by the Ludlow and Southern Railroad,
which extended south from the Santa Fe Railroad at
Ludlow. There was activity again during the 1930's
and 1940's, and the area has been prospected since.

168

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Photo 83. Pacific Gold-Coppar Mino, Stadmon District. The photo of underground working! in tho mine, in San
Bernordino County, was taken in the early 1900s.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The ore-bearing zones
are in quartz monzonite and rhyolite. The ore consists
of cemented silicified breccia containing fine free gold
and various copper minerals, chrysocolla being most
abundant. The deposit at the Bagdad-Chase mine is
eight to 20 feet thick and has been mined to a depth
of 450 feet. Ore mined by Pacific Mines Corporation
has an average grade of 1.82 percent copper, 0.35
ounce of gold and 1.5 ounces of silver per ton.

Bibliography

Cloudman, H C, 1919, Son Bernardino County, Pacific Mine: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 15, p. 790.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1930, San Bernardino County,
Pacific Mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 26, pp. 218-219.

Wright, L A., et of, 1953, San Bernardino County, Bogdod^^hose
Mine: Coiifornio Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 49, pp. 71-72.

Trojan
The Trojan or Providence mining district is in east-
ern San Bernardino County in the Providence Moun-
tain. Some gold, copper, silver, and lead have been
mined here, the main sources having been the Bamett
and Gold King mines. They were active prior to and
during World War I. The deposits consist of quartz
veins in quartz monzonite that contain abundant sul-
fides.

Bibliography

Hewett, 0. F., 1956, Geology and mineral resources of the Ivanpah
quadrangle: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 275, 172 pp.

Twentynine Palms

Location and History. This is an extensive region
in northern Riverside and southern San Bernardino
Counties. It includes the gold mines just south of the
town of Twentynine Palms and the areas to the south
known as the Lost Horse, Gold Park, Hexie and Pinon
districts. Gold was first mined here possibly as early
as 1860, but the most productive period was during
the 1890s and early 1900s. There was activity here
again in the 1930s, and there has been some propecting
since.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The region is under-
lain chiefly by quartz monzonite and gneiss, with
smaller amounts of granite, diorite, and gabbro. Also
there are some pegmatite and diorite dikes. The de-
posits consist of narrow quartz veins containing free
gold, pyrite, and often abundant iron oxide. A number
of small but high-grade pockets have been recovered.

Mines. Anaheim, Atlanta, Bass, Black Warrior,
Desert Queen, Gold Coin, Gold Park Cons., Gold
Point, Golden Bee, Golden Bell, Hexie (Hexahedran),
Hornet, Lost Horse J 3 50,000, Silver Bell.

1970

Gold Districts — Transverse, Peninsular Ranges

169

Bibliography

Merrill, f J. H., 1919, Riverside County, Pinon Mountain diitrictt Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 535-536.

Rogers, J. J. W., 1961, Igneous and metamorphic rocks of the western
portion of Joshua Tree National Monument: Californio Div. Mines Spec.
Rept. 68, 26 pp.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1945, Riverside County, gold: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines Rept. 41, pp. 127-144.

Vanderbilt

Location and History. The Vanderbilt or New
York mining district is in northeastern San Bernardino
County, in the northeast end of the New York Moun-
tains. Gold was first discovered here in 1861, but the
principal periods of mining were 1892-98 and 1934-41.
The district was so named by people who hoped it
would prove to be as rich as the Vanderbilt fortune.
From 1893 until 1923, the district was served by a
branch of the Santa Fe Railroad that extended north
from GoflFs and continued northeast to Searchlight,
Nevada. The chief sources of gold have been the Van-
derbilt and Gold Bronze mines. Silver, copper and zinc
also have been produced in this district.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The district is under-
lain by granitic rocks with smaller amounts of schist,
gneiss, limestone, and Tertiary volcanic rocks. The ore

deposits occur largely in granitic rocks and consist of
quartz veins, often with abundant sulfides. One ore
body in the Vanderbilt mine was mined to a depth of
400 feet and had a stoping length of 200 feet.

Bibliography

Hewett, D. F., 1956, Geology ond mineral resources of the Ivonpah
quadrangle, California and Nevada: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 275,
172 pp.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1943, San Bernardino County,
Vanderbilt mine: California Div. Mines Rept. 39, p. 464.

Whipple

The Whipple Mountains are in the southeast corner
of San Bernardino County. Gold was probably first
mined here at an early date, and there was prospecting
and development work in the area again in the 1930s
and early 1940s. Native gold and oxidized copper and
iron minerals occur in narrow quartz veins in gneiss
and metamorphic rocks of Precambrian age.

Mines. Bluff and Western, Ethel Leona, Gold
Zone, Islander, Nickel Plate, Roulette, Vidal Gold.

Bibliography

Wright, L A., Stewart, R. M., Gay, T. E., Jr., end Haienbush, G. C,
1953, San Bernardino County, gold tabulated list: California Jour. Mines
and Geol., vol. 49, p. 259.

TRANSVERSE AND PENINSULAR RANGES PROVINCES

These two provinces are in southern California. The
Transverse Ranges are a complex series of nearly west-
trending mountain ranges and valleys. The province
includes the San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Santa
Ynez Mountains. The most productive gold-quartz
mines have been in the Frazier Mountain, Acton, and
Baldwin Lake districts, where the deposits occur in
schist and granitic rocks. (Sometimes Frazier Mountain
is considered to be in the Coast Ranges.) Placer gold
has been recovered in quantity in the San Gabriel
Mountains.

The Peninsular Ranges are in Orange, western Riv-
erside, and San Diego Counties and extend southward
into Lower California. These ranges are composed
largely of granitic and related rocks that are part of
the southern and Lower California batholith and
smaller amounts of Paleozoic and Mesozoic metamor-
phic rocks. The principal gold sources have been the
Julian-Banner, Cuyamaca, and Pinacate districts. The
primary deposits consist of gold-quartz veins in schist
or granitic rocks.

Acton

Location and History. This district is in central
Los Angeles County in the general vicinity of the
town of Acton, 20 miles north of Los Angeles. It also
includes the area known as the Cedar district.

Placer gold was mined in the San Gabriel Moun-
tains here as early as 1834. Lode mining apparently

began here in the 1870s or 1880s. The district was
quite productive until about 1900. A number of mines,
including the Red Rover, Governor, and Monte
Cristo, were active again during the 1930s and early
1940s. The district has been intermittently prospected
since, but there has been very little recorded produc-
tion. Acton was named for a village in Massachusetts,
and the Governor mine for California's Governor
Henry Gage.

Geology. The deposits consist of gold-quartz veins
in quartz diorite, diorite, gabbro and schist. The veins
are in faulted and fractured zones. The ore is free
milling and contains varying amounts of pyrite. The
ore bodies commonly consist of small parallel veins
rather than a single large vein. The Governor mine
has been developed to an incline depth of 1000 feet.

Mines. Buena Esperanza, Governor (New York)
$1.5 million-!-, Helene, Hi-Grade, Red Rover $550,000,
Puritan.

Bibliography

Gay, T. E., Jr., and Hoffman, S. R., 1954, Los Angeles County, Gov-
ernor, Hi-Grade, and Red Rover mines: California Jour. Mines ond Geol-
ogy, vol. 50, pp. 497-500.

Merrill, F. J. H., 1919, Gold— Los Angeles County: Colifornia AAin.
Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 473-477.

Ookeshott, G. B., 1958, Geology and mineral deposits of the San
Fernando quadrangle: California Div. Mines Bull. 172, 147 pp.

Sampson, R. J., 1937, Gold — Los Angeles County: California Div.
Mines Rept. 33, pp. 177-196.

170

California Division of Mines and Geouxjy

Bull. 193

Azusa-Tujunga

Placer gold has been recovered in a number of can-
yons and washes along the south flank of the San Ga-
briel Mountains north and east of Los Angeles. Two
of the most important sources have been San Ciabricl
Canvon, near Azusa, and Tujunga Canyon to the
west. At the present time, some gold is recovered as
a by-product in several sand and gravel plants in this
area. The placer gold usually is fine. There are several
narrow gold-quartz veins just to the north.

Bibliography

Gay, T. E., Jr., and Hoffmon, S. R., 1954, Los Angelei County, gold:
California Jour. Minef and Geology, vol. 50, pp. 493-496.

Pretton, E. B., 1890, Tujungo mining district: California Min. Bur.
R.pl. 9, pp. 197-198.

Baldwin Lake

Location and History. This district is in the gen-
eral vicinit)' of and east of Baldwin Lake, which is in
the northern part of the San Bernardino Mountains.
Gold \\ as reported to have been mined here by Mexi-
cans possibly as early as 1800. The Rose mine was
active in 1860, and there was considerable activity' in
the district in the 1890s and early 1900s. The Doble
mine was active again in the 1930s and 1940s. The lake
\\as named for C. G. Baldwin, first president of Po-
mona College.

Geology. Rocks in this district include mica schist,
quartzite, limestone, and granite. The ore deposits con-
sist of systems of irregular quartz-calcite veins contain-
ing free gold, scheelite, and sulfides. The greatest depth
of development is about 400 feet. There are also
placer deposits in the district:

Mines. Lode: Christie, Doble $250,000 to $300,-
000, Erwin, Gem, Gold Hill, Hollie Ann, Lester, Log
Cabin, Rose $450,000 to $600,000, Stewart. Placer:
McClure-Bess, Parker, Rattlesnake Canyon, Vaughn,
Weaver.

Bibliography

Cloudmon, H. C, Huguenin, Emile, and Merrill, F. J. H., 1919, Son
Bernardino County gold: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 794-797.

Wright, L A., Stewart, R. M., Gay, T. E., Jr., and Haxenbush, G. C,
1953, San Bernardino County gold: California Jour. Mines ond Geology,
vol. 49, pp. 69-86.

Black Hawk
Location and History. This district is in south-
western San Bernardino County about 30 miles north-
east of San Bernardino on the north side of the San
Bernardino Mountains. It also has been known as the
Silver Reef district. The district was organized in 1870.
An English concern organized the Santa Fe group in
1890 to work the area on a large scale, but work
stopped soon afterward and prospecting was minor
during the early 1900s. The Santa Fe group was re-
opened in 1921 and operated continuously until 1940.
In this last operation, the production amounted to
$300,000.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The area is underlain
by granitic rocks, mica schist, gneiss, and a limestone
belt. A mineralized zone known as the Arlington-

Santa Fe lode occurs in a thrust fault that strikes west
and dips north. The ore consists of hematite-bearing
gouge and a limestone breccia. Several ore bodies
yielded up to one ounce of gold per ton. The ore zones
arc up to 75 feet thick and 1000 feet long. Much of
the output in the district has come from the Santa Fe
groups.

Bibliography

Cloudmon, H. C, et of., 1919, San Bernordino County, the Block Hawk
district: California Mining Bureau Rept. 15, pp. 797-798.

DeGroot, Henry, 1890, Tlie Block Hawk district: California Mining
Bureau Rept. 10, pp. 523-525.

Storms, W. H., 1893, Block Hawk district: California Mining Bureau
Rept. 11, pp. 364-365.

Woodford, A. D., and Harris, T. F., 1928, Geology of Block Howk
Canyon: California Dept. Geol. Sci., Bull., vol. 17, pp. 265-304.

Wright, I. A., ef o/., 1953, Son Bernordino County, Santo Fe mines:
California Jour. Mines and Geol., vol. 49, p. 80.

Boulder Creek

Location. This is a small gold-mining district in
central San Diego County about 50 miles east-north-
east of San Diego and five miles west of Cuyamaca.
Gold was discovered here about 1885, and minor work
continued intermittently until the 1930s.

Geology. The district is underlain by granitic
rocks and mica schist. A number of narrow north-
striking quartz veins in shear zones contain free gold
and varying amounts of sulfides, including pyrite,
pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, and marcasite. Some silver is
present, and tellurides have been reported.

Mines. Boulder Creek, Elk, Gold Crown, Last
Chance, Luck\- Strike, Nona, Penny, Prosperity.

Bibliography

Everhort, D. I., 1951, Boulder Creek district: California Div. Mine»
Bull. 159, pp. 109-111.

Tucker, W. B., 1925, Son Diego County, gold: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 21, pp. 331-349.

Weber, F. Harold, Jr., 1963, San Diego County, gold: California Div.
Mines ond Geology County Rept. 3, pp. 115-167.

Cu/amaca

Location. This district is in central San Diego
County in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park about 50 miles
east-northeast of San Diego.

History. The Stonewall mine, the chief source of
gold in the district, was discovered in 1 870, reportedly
by either William Skidmore or Charles Hensley. It
operated under difficulties until 1886, when it came
under the control of an ex-Govemor of California,
Robert W. Waterman. The mine was highly produc-
tive from then until 1895. There has been very little
mining activity' in the area since. The remaining equip-
ment and surface plant of the famous old mine have
been made into an outdoor museum. The mine has
a total output that has been variously estimated at $2
million to $3 million.

Geology. The Stonewall mine area is underlain by
mica schist, granodiorite, and gneiss. A large body of
gabbro and related rocks lies immediately to the west.
Ore was recovered from several north-trending and
steeply dipping quartz veins. At the Stonewall mine,
the vein is as much as 20 feet thick. The ore contained

1970

Gold Districts — Transverse, Peninsular Ranges

171

free gold, abundant sulfides including pyrrhotite and
pyrite, and occasionally small amounts of gold tel-
lurides. The famous ore shoot at the Stonewall mine
had a pitch length of about 300 feet.

Bibliography

Creasy, S. C, 1946, Geology ond nickel mineralization of the Julian-
Cuyamoca area. Son Diego County: Colifornia Div. Mines Rept. 42, pp.
15-29.

Everhort, D. L, 1951, Geology of the Cuyomoco Peak quadrangle,
San Diego County: Colifornia Div. Mines Bull. 157, pp. 51-136.

Hanks, H. G., 1886, The Stonewall mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 6,
pt. 1, pp. 89-90.

Merrill, F. J. H., 1916, San Diego County, Stonewall mine: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 660-662.

Weber, f. Harold, Jr., 1963, San Diego County, gold: California Div.
Mines ond Geology County Rept. 3, pp. 115-167.

Deer Park

This is a small district in east-central San Diego
County about si.x miles southeast of Cuyamaca Rancho
State Park and about 50 miles east of San Diego. Minor
amounts of gold have been recovered from narrow
north-trending quartz veins in schist, gneiss, and dio-
rite. The area also has been prospected for tungsten.

Bibliography

Weber, F. Harold, Jr., 1963, San Diego County, gold: California Div.
Mines and Geology County Rept. 3, pp. 115-167.

Dulzura

The Dulzura district is in southern San Diego
County in the San Ysidro Mountains and about 25
miles southeast of San Diego. Placer gold was discov-
ered here in 1828, but the lode deposits were not
mined until 1 890. The mines were worked sporadically
from the 1890s until the 1930s. The principal gold
source has been the Donahoe mine; others include the
Johnston and Doolittle mines. The district is underlain
by granitic rock, quartzite, gneiss, and schist. The de-
posits occur in a northwest-trending shear zone in
metamorphic rock and consist of broken and crushed
quartz containing native gold and sometimes abundant
sulfides. The deposits are shallow and usually are dis-
continuous.

Bibliography

Merrill, F. J. H., 1916, Dulzura district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14,
pp. 664—665.

Weber, F. Harold, Jr., 1963, San Diego County, gold: California Div.
Mines and Geology County Rept. 3, pp. 115-167.

Escondido

Location. The Escondido district is in western San
Diego Count)' about 25 miles north of San Diego and
20 miles southeast of Oceanside. Gold was first mined
here many years ago by Mexicans who treated rich
surface ores in arrastras. There was considerable ac-
tivity here during the 1890s and early 1900s.

Geology. The area is underlain by granodiorite,
diorite, and gabbro. A number of quartz veins, rang-
ing from a few inches to several feet in thickness, con-
tain free gold and often abundant pyrite. The greatest
depth that any vein has been developed is 3 50 feet.

Mines. Cleveland-Pacific $250,000, Oro Fino,
Cravath, Jolly Boy, Coyote.

Bibliography

Merrill, F. J. H., 1916, Escondido: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp.
649-651.

Storms, W. H., 1893, Escondido mines: California Min. Bur. Rept. 11,
p. 382.

Weber, F. Harold, Jr., San Diego County, gold: Colifornia Div. Mines
County Rept. 3, pp. 115-170.

Frazier Mountain

Location arid History. This district is in the north-
east comer of Ventura County in the general vicinity
of Frazier Mountain. Sometimes it is considered to be
in the Coast Ranges. The Piru district is just to the
south, and the towns of Gorman and Fort Tejon are
to the east. The region was first placer-mined in the
1840s, and the Frazier Mountain mine was opened in
1865. This and other lode-gold mines were worked
fairly steadily until around 1895. Minor prospecting
and development work has been done in the district
since; a small production was recorded in 1952. Fort
Tejon, a U. S. Cavalry post established in 1854 to con-
trol the marauding Indians, was abandoned in 1864,
but it has been restored and is now a state historical
monument.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The region is underlain
by granite, granodiorite, gneiss, and schist and smaller
amounts of quartzite and homfels. The gold-quartz
veins strike north, range from a few inches to five feet
in thickness, and occur in shear zones that are prin-
cipally in gneiss and schist. The ore is free milling and
contains pyrite and small amounts of other sulfides.
Milling-grade ore commonly averaged 54 ounce of
gold per ton. Several of the ore bodies had stoping
lengths of up to 300 feet. Some placer gold was recov-
ered in the district from the streams and older terrace
gravels.

Mines. Bunker Hill, Esperanza, Fairview, Frazier
$1 million. Gold Dust, Harris, Hess, Maule, Sibert,
White Mule.

Bibliography

Bowers, Stephen, 1888, Gold — Ventura County: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 680-684.

Carman, Mox F., Jr., 1964, Geology of the Lockwood Volley oreo,
Kern and Ventura Counties: California Div. Mines and Geology Spec.
Rept. 81, 62 pp.

Huguenin, Emile, 1919, Gold — Ventura County: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 15, pp. 759-760.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1932, Gold — Ventura County:
California Div. Mines Rept. 28, pp. 253-257.

Holcomb Valley

Holcomb Valley is on the north side of the San
Bernardino Mountains just north of Big Bear Lake.
Placer deposits were discovered here in 1 860 by W. F.
Holcomb and were extensively worked for a few years
following, mostly by Mexicans. The area has been in-
termittently prospected ever since. From 1933 to 1941
about 200,000 cubic yards were mined by power
shovel, with an average recovery of 38 cents per yard.
The gold-bearing material consists of Recent and older
alluvium. There are a number of small lode-gold pros-
pects. The gold occurs in thin shear and fracture zones

172

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull 193

in granitic rocks or in contacts between carbonate and
intrusive rocks.

Bibliography

Cloudmon. H. C, Huguanin, Emit*, ond Merrill, F. J. H., 1920, Hol-
comb Volley district: California MIn. Bur. Rapt. 16, pp. 798-799.

Groy, C. H., Jr., 1960, Placer gold in Geology of the San Bernardino
AAountaint north of Big Bear lake: California Div. Mines Spec. Rept. 65,
pp. 51-54.

Julian-Banner

Location. This district is in north-central San
Diego County in the general vicinity of the towns of
Julian and Banner about 50 miles northeast of San
Diego. It is at the north end of a belt of gold mineral-
ization that extends south and southwest through the
Cuyamaca, Deer Park and Pine Valley districts.

History. Placer mining may have been first done
here in the 1840s. The first lode claims, the George
Washington and Van Wert, were located in 1870, and
the Julian mining district was organized in that same
year, named for Mike Julian, the recorder. Many other
claims were located soon afterward. The greatest pe-
riod of mining activity was from 1870 to 1880, a peak
output of $500,000 having been attained in 1874. There
was another period of activity from 1888, when the
Gold King and Gold Queen mines were discovered,
until about 1896. Since then there has been intermit-
tent exploration and development work, particularly at
the Golden Chariot and other nearby mines, but very
little recorded output. The value of the total produc-
tion from the district is estimated at $5 million.

Phcto 86. Lytle Creek Mine, Lytle Creek District. This photo of a hydroulic mining operation in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, Son Ber-
nardino County, was token in about 1894. Photo courtesy of Co/if. Stote Library

1970

Gold Districts — Tr.\nsverse, Peninsular Ranges

173

Hydraulic Mining, Lytle Creek District. The photo was taken in San Bernardino County in the 18905.
Photo courtesy of Title Insurance and Trust Company of Los Angeles.

Geology. Most of the important deposits are in or
adjacent to a one- to two-mile-wide northwest-trend-
ing belt of mica schist, gneiss, and quartzite of the
Julian Schist (Triassic' ) . On either side of this belt
are quartz diorite and schist. The northwest-trending
Elsinore fault extends through the area.

Ore Deposits. The ore bodies occur in lenticular
quartz veins ranging from a few inches to about five
feet in thickness. The veins strike northwest and dip
to the northeast. The ore contains native gold and
varying amounts of auriferous sulfides. Also present
are small amounts of gold tellurides. Most of the ore
shoots had stoping lengths of 100 feet or less, although
one at the Owens mine was 400 feet. Surface ores
mined during the early days contained considerable
rich "jewelry" material, but at depth the ore is low
in grade. The deepest working is 350 feet.

Mines. C. B. Chieftain, Cincinnati Belle, Eagle
Elevada, Gardner $200,000, Gold Cross, Gold King,
Golden Chariot $700,000, Gopher, Helvetia $450,000,
Hidden Treasure, Kentuck group. Madden group.
North Hubbard $200,000, Owens $450,000, Ranchita
$150,000, Ready Relief $500,000, Redman, San Diego,
Shamrock, Van Wert.

Bibliography

Crawford, J. J., 1894, Gold-San Diego County: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 12, pp. 237-243.

Creasey, S. C, 1946, Geology and nickel mineralization of the Julion-
Cuyamaca area, California: California Div. Mines Rept. 42, pp. 15-29.

Donnelly, Maurice, 1934, Geology and mineral deposits of the Julian
district: California Div. Mines Rept. 30, pp. 331-370.

Hanks, H. G., 1886, Julian mining district: California Min. Bur. Rept.
6, pt. 1, pp. 82-89.

Merriam, Richard, and Stewart, R. M., 1958, Geology and mineral
resources of the Santa Ysabel quadrangle, San Diego County, Call*
fornia: California Div. Mines Bull. 177, 42 pp.

Merrill, F. J. H., 1916, San Diego County, Julian district: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 653-660.

Tucker, W. B., 1925, Gold — San Diego County; California Min. Bur.
Rept. 21, pp. 331-349.

Weber, F. Harold, Jr., 1963, San Diego County, gold: California Div.
Mines and Geology County Rept. 3, pp. 115-167.

Laguna Mountains

The Laguna Mountains are in east-central San Diego
County east of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and 55
miles east of San Diego. A considerable number of
claims have been located here, but the principal gold
source has been the Noble mine, which yielded more
than $60,000 between 1888 and 1914. The district was
prospected during the 1920s and 1930s. The ore de-
posits consist of narrow north-striking gold-quartz
veins in shear zones in mica schist, gneiss, and quartz
diorite. This district is at the southeast end of the same
belt that includes the Julian-Banner and Cuyamaca dis-
tricts.

Bibliography

Weber, F. Harold, Jr., 1963, San Diego County, gold: California Div.
Mines and Geology County Rept. 2, pp. 115—167.

Lytle Creek

Lytle Creek is in southwestern San Bernardino
County in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains. Dur-
ing the 1890s there was an appreciable amount of
placer mining here. Operations extended from near the
mouth of the canyon to near its headwaters on the

174

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

east slope of Mt. San Antonio (Mt. Baldy)- Work was
done both bv hydraulicking and hand methods. The
stream was named for Andrew Lytic, a member of the
Mormon colony that settled in San Bernardino in 1851.

Menifee
The Menifee or Auld district is in western Riverside
County about eight miles south of Perris. The area
was first mined many years ago, and there has been
minor prospecting since. The principal gold sources
have been the Menifee, Lucky Boy, and Mammoth
mines, none of which has been extensively developed.
A number of narrow quartz veins contain free gold
and in places abundant pyrite. Country rock is quartz
diorite.

Bibliography

M.rrill, F. J. H., 1919, Rivertide County, gold: Californio Min. Bur.
Kept. 19, pp. 533-535.

Mesa Grande
The Mesa Grande gold-mining district is in north-
central San Diego County just northeast of the town
of Mesa Grande and about .^0 miles northeast of San
Diego. The deposits were discovered in late 1880s and
were worked until about 1896. There was minor ac-
tivity again in the 1930s. The principal source of gold
has been the Shenandoah mine, which has yielded
about $50,000. Others include the Black Eagle and
Mesa Grande mines. The ore deposits consist of nar-
row northeast-striking gold-quartz veins in schist and
gneiss. Some of the surface ore was rich.

Bibliography

Storms, W. H., 1693, Mew Grcride district: California Min. Bur. Rept.
11, p. 382.

Weber, F. Harold, Jr., 1963, San Diego County, gold: California Div.
Mines and Geology County Rept. 3, pp. 115-167.

Montezuma

The Montezuma or Rice district is in northeastern
San Diego County about six miles southeast of War-
ner's Springs and 12 miles north of Julian. Gold was
first mined here about 1 896, when a number of claims
were located. Many of the claims were consolidated
in about 1910 by the Montezuma Gold Mining Com-
pany, which worked them for a few years. The dis-
trict was prospected again in the 1930s. A series of
northeast-trending gold-quartz veins occur in quartz-
ite, schist, gneiss, and quartz diorite. The veins range
from one to four feet in thickness and have been devel-
oped to depths of about 230 feet.

Mines. Buckeye, Grubstake, Lucky Strike, Maid of
Erin, Montezuma group.

Bibliography

Merrill, F. J. H., 1916, Son Diego County, Monteiumo or Rice district:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, p. 648.

Tucker, W. B., 1925, Son Diego County, Montezuma mine: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 21, pp. 342-343.

Weber, F. Harold, Jr., 1963, San Diego County, gold: California Div.
Mines and Geology County Rept. 3, pp. 115-167.

Morongo
This district is in the eastern San Bernardino Moun-
tains. There are a number of small lode-gold mines

and prospects, most of which have been idle for many
years. The deposits are shallow and consist of narrow

Suartz veins containing free gold, often abundant sul-
des, and scheelite. Country rock is granite, limestone,
and schist.

Bibliography

Cloudman, H. C, Huguenin, Emile, and Merrill, F. J. H., 1920, San
Bernardino County, Morongo district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, p.
800.

Mount Boldy

Location and History. This district is in the San
Gabriel Mountains in eastern Los Angeles Count>'. It
is just west of Mount San Antonio, which is also
known as Mount Baldy or Old Baldy. It is both a lode-
and placer-mining district.

Placer mining was originally done here in the San
Gabriel River in the 1840s, and for several periods
following that time, this district was quite productive.
Production was obtained from both the stream beds
and from terrace gravels, which were mined by hy-
draulicking. In 1874 it was reported that more than
$2 million had been produced in the previous 18 years.
The principal period of lode-gold mining was 1903-
1908, but there was some acnvit>' again in the 1930s.
The estimated output from the lode mines is 50,000
ounces. There has been minor work in recent years,
chiefly by weekend prospectors.

Geology. The gold-quartz veins occur in schist
and gneiss. The ore deposits are rich in places. The
ore bodies usually are three feet or less in thickness
and do not extend to any great depth. The oxidized
zones near the surface yielded the richest ore.

Mines. Allison $50,000, Baldora, Big Horn $40,-
000-(-, Eagle, Gold Dollar, Holly, Heaton, Native Son,
Stanley, Zanteson.

Bibliography

Goy, T. E., Jr., and Hoffman, S. R., 1954, Gold — Los Angeles County:
California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 50, pp. 493-502.

Sampson, R. J., 1937, Gold — Los Angeles County: California Div.
Mines Rept. 33, pp. 177-196.

Tucker, W. B., 1927, Gold— Los Angeles County: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 23, pp. 291-295.

Mount Gleason

This district is in the central San Gabriel Moun-
tains in Los Angeles County, in the general vicinity of
Mount Gleason about 15 miles due north of Pasadena.
There are a number of small lode-gold deposits, the
principal ones having been the Los Padre and Mount
Gleason mines. The veins are narrow and in places
contain small amounts of gold and sulfides. All have J
been idle for many years. The country rock is granite \
and schist.

Bibliography

Sampson, R. J., 1937, Los Angeles County, Mount Gleason mine: Cali-
fornio Div. Mines Rept. 33, pp. 187-188.

Neenach

This district is in northern Los Angeles County
about 20 miles west-northwest of Lancaster, in the
foothills on the south side of Antelope Valley. Gold
was discovered here in 1899, but the bulk of the pro-

1970

Gold Districts — ^Transverse, Peninsular Ranges

175

Photo 88. Lode Gold Mine, Los Angeles County. The photo was taken in the San Gabriel Mountains in the early 1900».

duction of about $200,000 was obtained in 1935-38.
There has been intermittent mining and development
work here since. Most of the production has been
from the Rivera or Rogers-Gentry group of mines.

The ore deposits occur in a contact zone between
metasediments and quartz monzonite. The ore bodies
consist of zones of narrow quartz veins and stringers
containing free gold and varying amounts of pyrite.
The oxidized zone yielded material valued as high as
$60 of gold per ton.

Bibliography

Gay, T. E., Jr., and Hoffman, S. R., 1954, Gold — Us Angeles County:
California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 50, pp. 497-500.

Weise, J. H., 1950, Geology and mineral resources of the Neenoch
quadrangle: California Div. Mines Bull. 153, 53 pp.

Pinacate

Location and History. The Pinacate district is in
western Riverside County in the hills between Perns
and Lake Elsinore. The area was placer-mined in the
1850s. The Good Hope vein was discovered in 1874,
and there was considerable mining activity that lasted
until about 1903. Some work was done in the district

again in the 1930s, and there has been minor prospect-
ing since.

Geology. The area is underlain by shales, slates,
phyliites, and quartzites of the Santa Ana Formation
(Triassic) and quartz diorite and granodiorite. Quartz
latite lies to the west. The ore deposits consist of zones
of quartz veins and seams with kaolin and gouge,
which contain native gold and varying amounts of
sulfides. The sulfide content increases at depth. The
ore contains Yz to one ounce of gold per ton. The
Good Hope vein was mined to a depth of 575 feet.

Mines. Argonaut, Brady, Colton, Good Hope $1
million to $2 million, Hoag $140,000, Lake View,
Lucky Strike, Musick, Rosalia, Santa Fe, Santa Rosa,
Shay, Victor.

Bibliography

Dudley, P. H., 1935, Geology of a portion of the Perris block,
southern California: Californio Div. Mines Rept. 31, pp. 487-515.

Engel, Rene, 1959, Geology and mineral deposits of the lake Elsinore
quadrangle: California Div. Mines Bull. 146, 154 pp.

Merrill, F. J. H., 1919, Riverside County, gold: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 15, pp. 527-535.

Storms, W. H., 1893, Pinacate district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 11,
pp. 384-385.

Tucker, W. B., and Sampson, R. J., 1945, Riverside County, gold:
California Div. Mines Rept. 41, pp. 127-144.

176

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Pine Valley

This district, in south-central San Diego County
approximately 35 miles east of San Diego, includes the
Descanso area to the west. A number of small lode-
gold mines in the area were first worked around 1900,
and a few have been prospected since. The deposits
usually consist of a series of parallel quartz veins and
stringers containing native gold and often abundant
sulfides. None have been developed to depths of
greater than 150 feet. The country rock is granodi-
orite, gneiss, dioritc, and gabbro. The principal proper-
ties have been the Descanso, Free Coinage, Gold Stand-
ard, Good Luck, and Oak Canyon mines.

Bibliography

Marrill, F. J. H., 1916, San Diego County, Deer Pork, DeKonto, and
Pine Valley Districh: California Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 662-664.

Weber, F. Harold, Jr., 1963, San Diego County, gold: California Div.
Minet and Geology County Rept. 3, pp. 11S-167.

Piru

Location and History. The Piru district is in north-
eastern Ventura County in the vicinity of the creek
of the same name. The Frazier Mountain district is just
to the north, and the town of Gorman on the Ridge
Route highway is 10 miles to the northeast. Placer min-
ing was begun here in 1841 by Andrew Castillero, and
gold from the district was shipped to the U. S. Mint
in Philadelphia in 1842. Small-scale placer mining con-
tinued intermittently through the 1 890s, and there was
some work again in the 1920s and 1930s. Among lode-
gold mines, the principal operation was the Castac
mine, which has an estimated total output valued at
about $160,000.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The placer deposits
are in and adjacent to the upper part of Piru
Creek, chiefly in the vicinity of its junction ^v^th
Lockwood Creek and to the east in the Gold Hill area.
The gold has been recovered both from Recent stream
gravels and older terrace deposits on the hills north of
the Creek. The placer gold often is coarse-grained.
There are a number of north-striking gold-quartz veins
that range from a few inches to about 4 feet in thick-
ness. The veins occur in shear zones and usually in
granitic gneiss or hornblende schist. The ore contains
free gold and varying amounts of pyrite. Milling ore
sometimes averaged Yz ounce of gold per ton.

Bibliography

Bowers, Stephan, 1888, Gold — Ventura County: California MIn. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 680-684.

Huguenin, Emile, 1919, Gold — Ventura County: California MIn. Bur.
Rept. 15, pp. 759-760.

Tucker, W. B., 1925, Gold — Ventura County: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 21, pp. 229-232.

Saugus
This is the extensive placer-mining region in the
western San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County.
It includes the Newhall, Soledad, Placerita Canyon,
upper Santa Clara River, Sand Canyon, Pacoima Can-
yon, and Arrastre Canyon areas and a number of other
canyons. The area sometimes is known as the San
Gabriel district and also as the Newhall district. Gold
was discovered in the district in the early 1800s, the
exact date and place being somewhat uncertain. It is
likely that the mission fathers from the San Fernando
and San Buena Ventura missions worked placers in the
area during the 1830s. A commemorative plaque in
Placerita Canyon states that gold was discovered at
that locality on March 9, 1842. Production figures are
not available, but it has been estimated that $100,000
was produced during the first few years. Placer mining
has been carried on intermittendy ever since, mostly
by small-scale methods. The gold has been recovered
from the gravels in the present stream channels and
from benches and terraces along the banks. Also, there
are a few minor gold-quartz veins in the area.

Bibliography

Gay, T. E., Jr., and Hoffman, S. R., 1954, Mines and mineral depotiti
of Lot Angeles County, gold: California Jour, of Mines and Geology,
vol. 50, pp. 493-496.

Jamison, C. E., Santa Clara River placers, Los Angeles and Ventura
Counties: Mining and Scientific Press, vol. 100, Mar. 5, 1910, pp. 360-
361.

Oakeshott, G. B., 1958, Geology and mineral deposits of the Son
Fernando quadrangle, Los Angeles County: Calif. Div. Mines Bull. 172,
pp. 108-109.

Preston, E. B., 1890, Auriferous gravels of Costoca, Polomos, and San
Feliciana Canons: Calif. Min. Bur. Rept. 9, pp. 201-203.

Trabuco

Small amounts of placer gold have been recovered
in some of the canyons in the Santa Ana Mountains in
southeastern Orange County. The most productive
have been Trabuco, Silverado, and Santiago Canyons.
The town of Silverado flourished until around 1881.
Prospecting was first done here many years ago, and
there was some activity again during the 1930s. A
number of narrow veins in the region contain varying
amounts of tin, copper, zinc, and small amounts of
gold.

Bibliography

Larson, E. S., 1951, Crystalline rocks of southwestern California —
metals: California Div. Mines Bull. 159, pp. 46-^9.

1970

Gold Districts — Modoc Plateau
MODOC PLATEAU PROVINCE

177

The only sources of commercial amounts of gold
in the Modoc Plateau province of northeastern Califor-
nia have been the Hayden Hill district in north-central
Lassen County and the Winters district in southwest
Modoc County. In both districts the gold-bearing veins
occur in volcanic rocks of Tertiary age. The mines
at Hayden Hill have yielded several million dollars
worth of gold, but the Winters district has been the
source of less than $200,000. A few small gold pros-
pects occur elsewere in this region.

Hayden Hill

Location. The Hayden Hill district is in north-
western Lassen County about 20 miles southeast of
Bieber and 65 miles north of Susanville. It is the only
important gold-mining district in the Modoc Plateau
geomorphic province.

History. Gold-bearing veins were discovered here
in 1869 by J. W. Hayden and S. Lewis. The camp,
established in 1871, was originally known as Provi-
dence City, renamed Hayden Hill in 1878. A rush to
the district lasted until 1883. There was considerable
activity again from 1903 to 1910, when the Golden
Eagle mine was worked on a large scale. During the
1930s the Hayden Hill corporation operated several
properties on a moderate scale, and there has been
intermittent prospecting since. The district has a total
output valued at about $3 million.

Geology. The district is underlain predominantly
by nearly flat-lying well-bedded rhyoUte tuffs of Ter-
tiary age, some silicified and brecciated. Patches of
Pliocene basalt lie to the east, and extensive beds of
Miocene pyroclastic rocks lie to the west and north.

Ore Deposits. Several steeply-dipping veins and
stringer zones range from one to 25 feet in thickness.
These deposits consist chiefly of consolidated and ce-
mented breccia of wall rock; only a small amount of
quartz is present. The gold occurs in the free state in
usually small round particles and is commonly associ-

ated with manganese. Appreciable silver is present but
practically no sulfides. Nearly all of the ore has been
recovered from above the 800-foot depth.

Mines. Brush Hill $400,000, Blue Bell $100,000,
Evening Star $200,000, Golden Eagle $1,025,000, Hay-
den Gouge, Hayseed $150,000, Juniper $600,000,
North Star $20,000, Providence $78,000.

Bibliography

Averill, C. B., 1936, Lauen County, Hayden Hill mining distrirt: Cali-
fornia Div. Mines Rept. 32, pp. 422-424.

Hanks, H. G., 1888, Lassen County: California Min. Bur. Rept. 8,
pp. 329-332.

Hill, James M., 1915, Some Mining Districts in California and Nevada,
Hayden Hill mining district: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 594 pp.

Preston, E. B., 1890, Lassen County, gold: California Min. Bur. Rept.
9, pp. 211-213.

Preston, E. B., 1893, Hayden Hill mining district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 11, pp. 241-242.

Tucker, W. B., 1919, Lassen County, Hayden Hill mining district: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 229-235.

Winters

Location and History. This district is in south-
western Modoc County 35 miles west-southwest of
Alturas and 16 miles north of Adin. The area was
first prospected for gold in 1890. The vein at the
Lost Cabin mine was discovered in 1904. Mining ac-
tivity continued for a few years after that date, and
there was prospecting here in the 1930s.

Geology. The district is underlain by andesite,
andesite porphyry, and basalt of Tertiary age. There
are several west- and northwest-striking veins that
contain fine free gold, quartz, brecciated wall rock,
calcite, and feldspar. The deposits are shallow, none
of the veins having been developed to a depth of
greater than 300 feet.

Mines. Dixie Queen, Lost Cabin (Hess) $150,000,
Modoc.

Bibliography

Tucker, W. B., 1919, Modoc County, Winters mining district: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 251-252.

178

California Division of Mines and Gf.olocy
COAST RANGES PROVINCE

Bull. 193

Gold has been recovered in a number of places in
the Coast Ranges province. The largest source of gold
has been the beach placers near Orick, Humboldt
County, which have yielded more than $1 million.
Other producers have been the Palisade and Silverado
silver-gold mines, Calistoga district, Napa County;
the Island Mountain sulfide deposit, Trinity County,
where gold was recovered as a by-product of copper
mining; the mercury-gold mines in the Sulphur Creek
district, Colusa County; the Los Burros district, Mon-
terey County; the La Panza district, San Luis Obispo
County; and the ocean beaches near Crescent City,
Del Norte County.

Years ago there were small short-lived placer-min-
ing operations at Jolon, Parkfield, and the Carmel
River area, Monterey County; Panoche Valley, San
Benito County; San Francisquito Creek near Palo Alto
and Coyote Creek, Santa Clara County; Felton and
Ben Lomond, Santa Cruz County; Mitchell Canyon
north of Mount Diablo, Contra Costa County; and
F*utah Creek, Yolo County. Gold has been recovered
from the ocean beaches at San Francisco, Half Moon
Bay, Santa Cruz, Point Sal, and Surf. Small amounts
of b\-product gold were recovered at one time from
the massive pyrite bodies at Leona Heights, Alameda
County, and from a few copper prospects. Traces of
gold have been noted in quicksilver ores in a few other
districts besides the Sulphur Creek district.

Calistoga

Location and History. The Calistoga silver-gold
district is in northwestern Napa County. Nearly all
of the production has been from the Palisade mine,
three miles north of Calistoga, and the Silverado mine,
three miles farther north on the east flank of Mt. St.
Helena. The district also has been known as the Sil-
verado district, from the story Silverado Squatters, by
Robert Louis Stevenson, who, with his wife, spent the
summer of 1880 in a cabin at the Silverado mine.

Both mines were first worked in the 1870s. The
Silverado mine was opened in 1872, and in 1874
yielded $93,000 worth of gold and silver. The Pali-
sade mine, which was much more productive, was
opened in 1876 and was worked until 1893. It has
been prospected since. The total output of the Pali-
sade mine is about $2 million worth of silver and gold,
with some copper and lead. The total gold production
for the district is valued at about $500,000.

Geology and Ore Deposits. Much of the district
is underlain by volcanic rocks of Tertiary age. In
places sandstone and shale are present. The ore de-
posits at the Palisade mine arc in andesite, while those
at the Silverado arc in silicified rhyolite.

The deposits are in veins that consist of quartz and
chalcedony, which often arc brecciated. Some of the

vein material is porous, and comb structures often are
common. The gold usually is associated with silver,
copper, and lead sulfides. The veins are steeply dip-
ping, as much as 15 feet thick, and have been devel-
oped to depths of as much as 600 feet. Several high-
grade pockets have been encountered.

Bibliography

Bowen, O. E., 1951, Geologic guidebook to the San Francisco Boy
counties, Palisade and Silverado mines: California Div. Mines Bull. 154,
pp. 361-363.

Bradley, W. W., 1916, Nopo County, gold end silver: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 14, pp. 269-271.

Davis, F. F., 1968, Nopo County, Polisode mine: Colifornio Jour.
Mines and Geology, Vol. 44, pp. 183-184.

Crescent City

Gold and minor platinum have been recovered from
black sand deposits on the beaches south of Crescent
City, Del Norte County, beginning in the 1850s. Most
of it was recovered by small-scale methods. Several
large-scale operations were attempted in the 1890s
and again in 1913-14 but were unsuccessful. As in
other beach deposits along the ocean, the gold-bear-
ing black sands were deposited by shore currents and
wave action. Most of the gold here was probably
derived from the Smith River, which empties into the
ocean a few miles to the north, and the Klamath River,
a few miles to the south.

Island Mountain

The Island Mountain sulfide deposit is in the south-
west comer of Trinit>' County about 90 miles north
of Ukiah and 30 miles east of Garberville. It was dis-
covered about 1897 but not worked until 1915, shortly
after the completion of the nearbv Northwestern Pa-
cific Railroad. From 1915 until 1930, 132,000 tons of
ore were mined and yielded 9 million pounds of cop-
per, 144,000 ounces of silver, and 8,600 ounces of gold.
An estimated 158,000 tons of ore remain.

The deposit is a lenticular massive sulfide body
consisting predominantly of pyrite, chalcopyrite, and
pyrrhotite, with smaller amounts of magnetite, arseno-
pyrite, galena, and bomite. The gold and silver are
present in the sulfides either in solid solution or as
admixtures. The ore contained an average of 1.09
ounces of silver and .065 ounces of gold per ton.
Country rock consists of graywacke, shale, glauco-
phane schist, and chert. Greenstone and andesite are
present.

Bibliography

Aubury, L. E., 1908, Island Mountain Consolidated Copper Mine:
California Min. Bur. Bull. 50, pp. 148-150.

Logan, C. A., 1926, Trinity County, Island Mountain Consolidated
Copper Mine: California Min. Bur. Rept. 22, pp. 14-15.

Stinson, M. C, 1957, Geology of the Island Mountain copper mine.
Trinity County: California Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 53, pp. 9-33.

1970

Gold Districts — Coast Ranges

179

Jolon

Jolon is in southern Monterey County near Mis-
sion San Antonio de Padua. Small amounts of placer
gold have been recovered from several streams in the
area, beginning about 1850. In 1877 and 1878 several
thousand dollars worth of gold were recovered by
Chinese miners and sold to the local store. There was
prospecting again around 1914, but apparently noth-
ing has been done since. The gold was recovered from
Mission and Ruby Canyons and from gulches in the
Santa Lucia Mountains just to the west. The gold was
principally coarse nuggets, some more than % ounce.

Bibliography

Hart, E. W., 1966, Monterey County, Jolon Area: California Div.
Mines and Geology County Report 5, p. 45.

Woring, C. A., and Bradley, W. W., 1919, Monterey County, Jolon
District: California Min. Bur. Rept. 16, p. 606.

La Panza

Location and History. This is a placer-mining dis-
trict in east-central San Luis Obispo County about 40
miles east of the town of San Luis Obispo. The district
is in the La Panza Mountains and includes the area
around the site of the town of La Panza east of the
crest of the mountain range and the Pozo area to the
west. La Panza means "the paunch" in Spanish. The
name was derived from the practice of the vacqueros
at nearby ranchos of using the paunch or other parts
of slaughtered beef as bait to trap grizzly bears, which
once were common here.

Placer mining is believed to have first been done in
the district in the early 1 800s by Mexicans and Indians.
Gold was rediscovered in 1878, and there was a rush
to the area that lasted for several years. In 1888 the
total output was estimated to have been valued at over
$100,000. Small-scale mining continued through the
early 1900s, and there was activity again in the 1930s
and early 1940s. The total production of the district is
estimated at $200,000. A few old buildings remain in
the area.

Geology. Much of the gold apparently was ob-
tained from San Juan Creek, which flows northward
along the east flank of the mountain range, and from
several of its tributaries. The richest tributaries were
Navajo, McGinnis, Placer, and Hay Creeks. On the
west side of the summit some gold was recovered from
Pozo, Frazer, and Toro Creeks and possibly from the
upper Salinas River. The placer deposits were small
and discontinuous, but in places they were rich. The
gold was fairly coarse and somewhat irregular. It was
derived from narrow quartz veins in the granitic rocks
that constitute the central part of the La Panza Moun-
tains. The east side of the district is underlain by sand-
stone, shale, and conglomerate.

■ Bibliography

Dillon, R. H., 1961, The legends of La Panza: V/eOvays, May 1961,
pp. 10-12.

Franke, H. A., Jr., 1935, San Luis Obispo County, gold: California
Div. Mines Rept. 31, pp. 420-423.

Loizure, C. McK., 1925, San Luis Obispo County, gold: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 21, pp. 514-515.

Logan, C. A., 1919, San Luis Obispo County, gold: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 687-688.

Los Burros

Location. The Los Burros district is in southwest-
ern Monterey County in the Santa Lucia Mountains. It
is about 80 miles south of Monterey and four miles
east of Cape San Martin.

History. It is believed that this region was first
prospected for placer gold and quicksilver in the early
1850s. Prospecting became so popular here that the
Los Burros mining district was organized in 1875. In
1887 lode gold was discovered by W. D. Cruikshank
at what is now the Buclimo mine. There was consid-
erable excitement during the following few years, and
a vast number of claims were located. The principal
settlement was the town of Manchester or Mansfield,
which burned down in 1892.

Another flurry of activity in the early 1900s fol-
lowed placer gold discoveries in the various forks of
Willow Creek. Intermittent small-scale prospecting
and development work have continued in the district
until the present time. There was a recorded produc-
tion of several hundred dollars worth of gold in 1953
and again in 1963. It is believed that 2000 or more
claims have been located in the district. The value of
the total output is estimated to be about $150,000.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The Los Burros district
is underlain by various rocks of the Franciscan For-
mation (Upper Jurassic). Dark sandstone is most
abundant and is also the chief host rock of the gold-
bearing deposits. Also present are chen, shale, serpen-
tine, and volcanic rocks. These rocks have been
strongly faulted and sheared and locally metamor-
phosed. Numerous narrow northeast-trending veins,
composed of quartz and small amounts of calcite, oc-
cur in shear and fracture zones and commonly with
fault gouge.

Most of the gold has been recovered from small
lenticular ore shoots in oxidized zones near the surface.
The sulfides, which consist of fine-grained pyrite and
small amounts of chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite gen-
erally, are low in gold content. Most of the placer gold
has come from Willow Creek, and much of it was
concentrated as coarse ragged fragments. Very small
amounts have been found in Alder, Plaskett, and
Salmon Creeks.

Mines. Ancona, Buclimo $62,000, Bushnell, Gorda,
Grizzly, Mariposa, Melville, New York, Plaskett,
Plaskett (placer) $18,000, Spruce (placer) $22,000.

Bibliography

Hart, E. W., 1966, Monterey County, gold: California Div. Mines and
Geology County Rept. 5, pp. 44-52.

Hill, J. M., 1923, The Los Burros district: U. S. Geo). Survey Bull.
735-J, pp. 323-329.

Irelan, William, Jr., 1888, Los Burros district: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 405-410.

Loizure, C. McK., 1925, Monterey County, Los Burros district: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 21, pp. 37-41.

Mining and Scientific Press, vol. 104, pp. 696-698, May 18, 1912.

Preston, E. B., 1892, Los Burros district: Colifornia Min. Bur. Rept.
11, pp. 259-262.

Waring, C. A., and Bradley, W. W., 1919, Monterey County, lo«
Burros mining district: California Min. Bur. Rept. 15, pp. 602-605.

180

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Orick

The Orick or Gold BlufF Beach district is in north-
western Humboldt Count\- about 50 miles north of
Eureka and near the town of Orick. A series of gold-
bearing black sand deposits extend along the ocean
beach for a distance of about 10 miles. This area was
first piacer-mincd about 1852, and considerable activ-
ity continued through the 1880s. There has been inter-
mittent small-scale placer mining on the beaches since.
In 1888 it was estimated that the district had >'iclded
more than $1 million.

Gold and minor amounts of platinum occur in thin
but often fairly extensive layers of black sands on the
beach. Gold also is found in terrace and bench gravels
in the bluffs immediately east of the beaches. The
black sands were deposited by the action of shore cur-
rents and waves, which sort and distribute materials
broken down from the sea cliffs or washed into the sea
b\- streams. Some of the gold here may have come
from the Klamath River, which empties into the ocean
a few miles to the north. The gold is fine grained and
ranges from 900 to 950 in fineness. Various types of
devices have been used here to recover gold, including
sluices, a special type of long torn used in surf wash-
ing, amalgamating plates, and mechanical equipment.

Bibliography

Hornor, R. R., 1918, Notes on the block sand deposits of southern
Oregon and northern California: U. S. Bureau Mines Technical Paper
196, 42 pp.

Irelon, William, Jr., 1888, Gold Bluff Beach mines: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 8, pp. 216-218.

Rice, Salem J., 1961, Geologic sketch of the northern Coast Ranges:
California Div. Mines Mineral Information Service, vol. 14, no. 1.

Putah Creek

Placer mining was first done many years ago on
lower Putah Creek in southwestern Yolo County. At
one time a small mining camp existed where the creek
enters the Sacramento Valley from the Coast Range
near the present town of Winters. Small-scale placer
mining was done here again in the 1930s, when sev-
eral thousand dollars worth of gold was produced.
Also at one time occasional sluicing was done on
Cache Creek to the north near the town of Capay.
Several narrow quartz veins containing traces of gold
were prospected in the Coast Range to the west.

Bibliography

Watts, W. L., 1890, Yolo County, gold: California Min. Bur. Rept.
10, p. 790.

Red Mountain

This is a small gold- and copper-bearing district in
southeastern Mendocino County in the mountains be-
tween the Russian River on the west and Clear Lake
on the east. Minor amounts of placer gold were re-
covered from streams on the west slope of the range
in the 1880s and 1890s and again in the 1920s and
1930s. Several narrow gold- and copper-bearing quartz
veins occur near the summit. The region is underlain
by sandstone, shale, and serpentine.

Bibliography

Crawford, J. J., 1894, Red Mountain Mining District: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 12, p. 177.

San Francisco Beach

Gold occurs as fine grains in the black sands on the
beach at San Francisco. From 1938 to 1950, gold was
produced at the beach by people who used small
washing plants. From 1938 to 1941, the recorded pro-
duction was valued at about $13,000. The most pro-
ductive part of the beach was south of the Fleish-
hackcr Zoo, and the gold was most plentiful immedi-
ately after heavy winter storms. Several narrow gold-
bearing quartz veins have been found in metamorphic
rocks in the general area.

Santa Cruz

Some gold has been recovered in Santa Cruz
County. It has been obtained from creeks in the Ben
Lomond and Felton areas, small quartz veins in gran-
itic rocks in Ben Lomond Mountain, and from the
ocean beaches along Monterey Bay. Some time in the
1850s or 1860s, a large boulder was found in Gold
Gulch four miles north of Santa Cruz that was re-
ported to have contained $30,000 to $50,000, accord-
ing to the various stories. Much work was done in
the area following this discovery, but only small
amounts of gold were found.

The black sand deposits on the beaches between
Santa Cruz and Pajaro to the southeast were first
placer-mined in the 1850s. Later, during the 1880s and
1890s, attempts were made to work these deposits
with various mechanical devices, but none were com-
mercially successful. During the depression years of
the 193()s the beach sands were worked b>' small-scale
hand methods. These black sand deposits are found
both on the present beach and older marine terraces
and low hills in back of the beaches. The black sands
occur in strata that range from a few inches to sev-
eral feet in thickness.

Bibliography

Huguenin, Emile, and Castello, W. C, 1921, Santo Crui County,
gold: California Min. Bur. Rept. 17, pp. 235-236.

Watts, W. I., 1890, Santo Crui County, auriferous sond: Californio
Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 622-624.

Silver Queen

During the 1880s and early 1890s minor quantities
of gold were recovered from the Silver Queen mine
in western Sonoma County, five miles north of Caze-
dero. At this deposit there is a diabase dike up to 30
feet thick in schist that contains auriferous pyrite.
Small amounts of placer gold have been recovered in
the area.

Bibliography

Crawford, J. J., 1896, Silver Queen mine: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 13, p. 436.

Sulphur Creek
Location a>id History. The Sulphur Creek mer-
cury-gold district is in the southwest comer of Colusa
Count>' and in a small adjacent area in Lake County.

1970

Gold Districts

181

It is about 20 miles southwest of Williams and just
west of Wilbur Springs. Gold was discovered here in
1865, but the chief period of production was from
1880 to 1890, with a minor output since. The total
gold output of the district is valued at about $109,000.
The principal source of gold has been the Manzanita
mine, but some has been recovered from the Cherry
Hill and Clyde mines. The Manzanita is one of the
few mercury mines that also has been operated as a
gold mine.

Geology and Ore Deposits. The deposits consist
of narrow seams of siliceous sinter containing incrus-
tations of free gold in the oxidized zone and auriferous
pyrite at depth. Usually the gold is associated with
fine-grained cinnabar but not always. Some placer
gold has also been recovered here. Native sulfur and
bituminous matter are present. Country rock is sand-
stone and shale with several bands of serpentine. Hot
spring action apparently has been important in the
formation of the mineral deposits in the district; as-
cending solfatoric waters invaded the sandstone and
shale and leached out the more soluble material. Gold,
cinnabar, sulfur compounds, and siliceous sinter were
then deposited.

Bibliography

Becker, G. f., 1888, Quicksilver deposits of the Pacific slope: U. S.
Geol. Survey Mon. 13, pp. 367-368.

Bradley, W. W., 1918, Quicksilver resources of California, Man-
zanita mine: California Min. Bur. Bull. 78, pp. 38-39.

Logan, C. A., 1929, Colusa County, Sulphur Creek district: California
Div. Mines and Mining Rept. 25, pp. 288-290.

Surf-Point Sal

At one time appreciable quantities of gold were
recovered from the ocean beaches in western Santa
Barbara County. The most productive year for which
there is a record was 1889, when the county's gold
output was valued at $41,000, much of which may
have come from these beaches. Gold and very small
amounts of platinum occur as fine grains in thin lay-
ers of black sands. These deposits are more or less
continuous between Point Arguello on the south and
the mouth of the Santa Maria River on the north,
but the most productive ones have been at Surf and
Point Sal. Much of this area now is part of Vanden-
berg Air Force Base.

Bibliography

Irelon, William, Jr., 1888, Santa Barbara County, gold: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 8, p. 537.

Tucker, W. B., 1925, Santo Barbara County, gold: California Min.
Bur. Rept. 21, pp. 541-542.

GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following is a selected general bibliography on gold in Cali-
fornia. The total number of publications that have been written on
gold in California is very large.

Allen, W. W., and Avery, R. B., 1893, California gold book: Son
Francisco and Chicago.

Ailing, M. N., 1922, Ancient river-bed deposits in California: Engi-
neering and Min. Jour., vol. 1, Sept. 1922, pp. 134-140, and Oct.
1922, pp. 161-166.

Aubury, L. E., Winston, W. B., and Jonin, Charles, 1910, Gold
dredging in California: California Min. Bur. Bull. 57, 305 pp.

Averill, C. V., et al., 1946, Placer mining for gold in California:
California Div. Mines Bull. 135, 377 pp.

Bell, James E., 1956, Gold: U. S. Bur. Mines Bull. 556, pp. 315-326.

Bowie, A. J., Jr., 1905, A practical treatise on hydraulic mining in
California: D. Von Nostrond Co., New York, 313 pp.

Browne, J. Ross, 1868, Mineral resources of the states and terri-
tories west of the Rocky Mountains: U. S. Government.

Browne, J. Ross, and Taylor, J. W., 1867, Mineral resources of
the states and territories west of the Rocky Mountains: U. S. Gov-
ernment.

California Miners' Association, 1899, California's mines and min-
erals, San Francisco, 445 pp.

Clark, Lorin D., 1960, Foothills fault system, western Sierra Nevada:
Geol. Soc. America Bull., vol. 71, pp. 483-496.

Clark, William B., 1957, Gold: in California Div. Mines Bull. 176,
pp. 215-226.

Cloos, Ernst, 1935, Mother Lode and Sierra Nevada botholith: Jour.
Geology, vol. 43, pp. 225-249.

Del Mar, Alexander, 1902, A history of precious metals: New
York, 464 pp.

Del Mar, Alexander, 1911, Gold nuggets of California: Min. & Sci.
Press, vol. 102, p. 629.

Doolittle, J. E., 1905, Gold dredging in California: California Min.
Bur. Bull. 36, 120 pp.

Dunn, R. L., 1888, Drift mining in California: California Min. Bur.
Rept. 8, pp. 736-770.

Dunn, R. L., 1890, River mining: California Min. Bur. Rept. 9, pp.
262-281.

Dunn, R. L., 1894, Auriferous conglomerate in California: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 12, pp. 459-471.

Edmon, J. A., 1907, Auriferous block sands of California: California
Min. Bur. Bull. 45, 19 pp.

Emmons, W. H., 1937, Gold deposits of the world: McGraw-Hill
Book Co., Inc., New York, 562 pp.

Fairbanks, H. W., 1890, Geology of the Mother Lode region: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 22-90.

Gardner, D. L., 1954, Gold and silver mining districts in the Mojove
Desert region of southern California: California Div. Mines Bulletin
170, Chap. 8, no. 6, pp. 51-58.

Gilbert, G. K., 1917, Hydraulic-mining debris in the Sierra Nevada:
U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 105, 154 pp.

Goodwin, J. Grant, 1957, Lead and zinc in California: California
Jour. Mines and Geology, vol. 53, pp. 353—724.

Goodyear, W. A., The auriferous gravels of California: Min. & Sci.
Press, vol. 39, Sept. 20, 1879, pp. 182-183.

Haley, C. S., 1923, Gold placers of California: California Min. Bur.
Bull. 92, 167 pp.

Hammond, John Hoys, 1890, The auriferous gravels of California:
California Min. Bur. Rept 9, pp. 105-138.

Hammond, John Hays, 1890, Mining of gold ores in California:
California Min. Bur. Rept. 10, pp. 852-882.

Hanks, H. G., 1882, Placer, hydraulic, and drift mining: California
Min. Bur. Rept. 2, pp. 28-192.

Henderson, C. W., 1922, The history and influence of mining in
the western United States: Ore deposits of the western states, Lindgren
volume. Am. Inst. Min. Engrs., New York, pp. 730-784.

Hill, J. M., 1912, The mining districts of the western United Stales,
with a geologic introduction by Woldemar Lindgren: U. S. Geol.
Survey Bull. 507, pp. 17-20, 77-133.

Hill, J. M., 1915, Some mining districts in northeastern California
and northwestern Nevada: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 594, pp. 133-141.

Hill, J. M., 1929, Historical summary of gold, silver, copper, lead,
and zinc produced in California, 1848 to 1926: U. S. Bur. Mines Econ.
Paper 3, 22 pp.

Hulin, C. D., 1933, Geological relations of ore deposits in Cali-
fornio: Ore deposits of the western slates, Lindgren volume, A.I.M.E.,
New York, pp. 240-253.

182

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Lode region: U.

Julihn, C. E.,

region, II: U. S.

Irwin, William P., 1960, Geologic reconnoitsance of the northern
Cooit Range! and Klamath Mountoini, California: California DW.
Minet Bull. 179, 80 pp.

Janin, Chorlei, 191B, Gold dredging in the United Statet: U. S.
Bur. Mines Bull. 127, 226 pp.

Jormon, Arthur, 1927, Report of the Hydraulic Mining Commiuion
upon the feasibility of the resumption of hydraulic mining in Califor-
nia: California Min. Bur. Rept. 23, pp. 44-116.

Jenkins, Olof P., 1935, New technique applicable to the study of
placers: California Div. Mines Rept. 31, pp. 193-210.

Jenkins, Otaf P., et ol, 1948, Geologic guidebook along Highway
49 — Sierron gold belt — the Mother Lode Country: California Div.
Mines Bull. 141, 164 pp.

Joslin, G. A., 1945, Gold: California Div. Mines Bull. 130, pp. 122-
151.

Julihn, C. E., and Horton, F. W., 1938, Mines of the southern Mother
S. Bur. Mines Bull. 413, 140 pp.
and Horton, F. W., 1940, Mines of the Mother Lode
Bur. Mines Bull. 424, 179 pp.

Knopf, Adolph, 1929, the Mother Lode system of California: U. S.
Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 157, 88 pp.

Koschmonn, A. H., and Bergendahl, M. H., 1962, Gold in the United
States: U. S. Geological Survey Mineral Investigations Resources Map
MR-24.

Koschmonn, A. H., and Bergendahl, M. H., 1968, Principal gold-
producing districts of the United States: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper
610, pp. 53-84.

Lindgren, Watdemor, 1894o, Sacramento folio, California: U. S.
Geological Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 5, 3 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1894b, Morysville folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 17, 2 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1896a, Nevada City special folio, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 29, 7 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1B96b, Pyramid Peak folio, California: U. S.
Geol. Survey Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 31, 8 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1896c, Characteristic features of the California
gold-quartz veins: Bull. Geol. Soc. America, pp. 221—240.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1897, Truckee folio, Colifornio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 39, 8 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1900, Colfax folio, California: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 66, 10 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1909, Resources of the United States in gold,
silver, copper, lead, and zinc: U. S. Geol. Survey, Bull. 394, pp. 114-156.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1911, The Tertiary gravels of the Sierra
Nevada of California: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Poper 73, 226 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, 1912, The mining districts of the western
United States: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 507, pp. 5-13, 17-20.

Lindgren, Waldemar, 1933, Gold-quortz veins of the Sierra Nevada:
Mineral Deposits, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, pp. 616—627.

Lindgren, Woldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1894, Placerville folio,
Colifornio: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 3, 3 pp.

Lindgren, Woldemor, and Turner, H. W., 1895, Smartsville folio,
California: U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 18, 6 pp.

Logon, C. A., 1919, Platinum and allied metals in California: Cali-
fornia Min. Bur. Bull. 85, 120 pp.

Logon, C. A., 1935, Mother Lode gold belt of California: California
Div. Mines Bull. 108, 240 pp.

Logon, C. A., 1950, Gold: Colifornio Div. Mines Bull. 156, pp.
503-514.

Merwin, Roland W., 1968, Gold resources in the Tertiory grovels
of California: U. S. Bur. Mines Technical Progress Report, 14 pp.

Mining ond Scientific Press, 1860-1921, various entries, vols. 1-125.

Moore, Lymon, 1968, Gold resources of the Mother Lode belt, Cali-
fornia: U. S. Bur. Mines Technical Progress Report 5, Heavy MetoU
Program, 22 pp.

Paul, Rodman W., 1947, California gold, the beginning of mining
in the for west. Harvard Univ. Press, Combridge, 3i80 pp.

Peterson, D. W., Yeend, W. E., Oliver, H. W., and Mottick, R. E.,
1968, Tertiary gold-bearing channel gravel in northern Nevada
County, Colifornio: U. S. Geol. Survey Circulor 566, 22 pp.

Preston, E. B., 1895, California gold mill proctices: California Min.
Bur. Bull. 6, 85 pp.

Ronsome, F. L., 1900, AAother Lode district folio: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 63, 11 pp.

Roymond, R. W., 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1874, 1875, and 1876,
Mineral resources of the states ond territories west of the Rocky
Mountains: U. S. Government.

Reid, John A., The east country of the Mother Lode: Min. and
Sci. Press, Mar. 2, 1907.

Rickord, Thomas A., 1932, A history of American Mining: D. Apple-
ton.Century Co., Inc., New York and London, 419 pp.

Ridgewoy, R. H., 1929, Summarized dote of gold production: U. S.
Bur. Mines, Econ. Paper 6, 63 pp.

Risdon Iron Works, 1885, Gold mines and mining in Colifornio:
George Spaulding ond Co., San Francisco, 349 pp.

Ryon, J. P., 1960, Gold: U. S. Bur. Mines Bull. 585, pp. 347-356.

Skidmore, W. A., 1885, Gold and silver mining in California, post,
present, ond prospective: Report of the Director of the Mint, pp.
525-557.

Storms, W. H., 1900, Mother Lode region of California: California
Min. Bur. Bull. 18, 154 pp.

Turner, H. W., 1894a, Jackson folio, California: U. S. Geol. Survey
Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 11, 6 pp.

Turner, H. W., 1894b, Notes on the gold ores of Colifornio: Am.
Jour. Sci., 3rd ser., 47.

Turner, H. W., 1897, Downieville folio, Colifornio: U. S. Geol.
Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 37, 8 pp.

Turner, H. W., 1898, Bidwell Bar folio, California: U. S. Geol. Sur-
vey Geol. Atlos of the U. S., folio 43, 6 pp.

Turner, H. W., 1899, Replacement deposits in the Sierra Nevada:
Jour. Geol. pp. 389-400.

Turner, H. W., 1905, Notes on the gold ores of California: Am.
Jour. Sci., 3rd ser., 49.

Turner, H. W., and Ransome, F. L., 1897, Sonoro folio, California:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 41, 7 pp.

Turner, H. W., and Ronsome, F. L., 1898, Big Trees folio, Colifornio:
U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas of the U. S., folio 51, 8 pp.

Weotherbe, D'Arcy, 1907, Dredging for gold in California: Mining
ond Scientific Press, San Froncisco, 217 pp.

Whitney, J. D., 1875, The auriferous gravels of the Sierra Nevodo:
Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., Horvord College, vol. 6, 569 pp.

Yole, C. G., 1896, Total production of gold in California since 1848
by years according to different authorities: California Min. Bur. Rept.
13, pp. 64-65.

LIST OF DISTRICTS BY COUNTIES

ALPINE

Hope Valley
Mogul
Monitor
Silver King
Silver Mountain

A/AADOR

Comanche (also in Calaveras and Son

Joaquin Counties)
Fiddletown
Forest Home
Irish Hill

Jockson-Plymouth
Lancha Plana

Pine Grove

Volcano

West Point (also in Calaveras County)

White Oak Flat

Bangor
Bidwell Bar
Butte Creek
Cherokee
Clipper Mills
Con cow
For bestow n
Honcut
Inskip
Kimshew
Mogalio

BUHE

Morris Ravine
Oroville
Wyandotte
Yankee Hill

CALAVERAS

Alto

Angels Camp

Blue Mountain

Calaveritos

Comonche (also in Amador and Son

Joaquin Counties)
Campo Seco
Corson Hill

Collierville (also in Tuolumne County)
Esmeraldo
Fourth Crossing

1970

Glencoe

Hodson

Jenny lind

Jesus Maria

Mokelumne Hill

Mountain Ranch

Murphys

Paloma

Railroad Flat

Rich Gulch

San Andreas

Sheep Ranch

Skull Flat

Vallecilo

Valley Springs

West Point (also in Amador County)

COLUSA

Sulphur Creek

DEL NORTE

Crescent City
Monumental
Smith River

EL DORADO

Coloma

Deer Creek

Deer Valley

El Dorado

Fairplay

Garden Valley

Georgetown

Greenwood

Grixzly Flat

Hazel Valley

Indian Diggings

Kelsey

logtown

Nashville

Nevrtown

Omo Ranch

Pacific

Pilot Hill

Placerville

Rattlesnake Bar

Shingle Springs

Slate Mountain

Spanish Dry Diggings

Spanish Flat

Volcanoville

FRESNO

Big Creek
Big Dry Creek
Friant
Mill Creek
Sycamore Flat
Temperance Flat

HUMBOLDT

Hoopa
Orick
Orleans
Weitchpec
Willow Creek

IMPERIAL

Cargo Muchacho

Chocolate Mountains

Mesquite

Picocho

Potholes

Tumco

INYO

Argus
Ballarot
Beveridge
Big Pine

Gold Districts

Bishop Creek

Chloride Cliff

Echo Canyon

Fish Springs

Grapevine

Harrisburg

Kearsarge

Lee's Camp

Modoc

Russ

Skidoo

Slate Range (also in San Bernardino

County)
South Park
Tibbetts
Tucki Mountain
Ubehebe
Wildrose
Willow

KERN

Clear Creek

Cove

El Paso Mountains

Erskine Creek

Garlock

Greenhorn Mountain

Kern River

Keyseville

Long Tom

loraine

Mojave

Piute Mountains

Rodemacher

Rand (also in San Bernardino County)

Rosamond

Tehachapi

White River (also in Tulare County)

LASSEN

Diamond Mountain
Hoyden Hill
Honey Lake
Mountain Meadows

LOS ANGELES

Acton
Azuso

Mount Boldy
Mount Gleason
Neenach
Saugu$

/AADERA

Chowchilla
Coarsegold
Fine Gold
Fresno River
Grub Gulch
Hildreth
Potter Ridge
Quartz Mountain

AAARIPOSA

Bagby

Buckeye

Cathey

Cot Town

Clearinghouse

Colorado

Coulterville

Dog Town

Granite Springs

Gravel Range (also in Tuolumne County)

Greely Hill

Hite Cove

Hornitos

Jerseydale

Kinsley

183

Mariposa

Mormon Bar

Mount Bullion

Peiion Blanco (also in Tuolumne County)

Whitlock

MENDOCINO

Red Mountain

Snelling

High Grade
Winters

MERCED

MODOC

MONO

Bodie

Chidago

Clover Patch

Homer

Jordan

Keith

Mammoth

Masonic

Patterson

Tioga (also in Tuolumne County)

West Walker

White Mountains

Jolon

Los Burros

Colistoga

MONTEREY

NAPA

NEVADA

Badger Hill

Blue Tent

Emigrant Gap (also in Placer County)

English Mountain

French Corral

Groniteville

Gross Valley

Lowell Hill

Meadow Lake

Moore's Flat

Nevada City

North Bloomfield

North Columbia

North San Juan

Rough-and-Reody

Scotts Flat

Smartsville (also in Yuba County)

Washington

You Bet

ORANGE

Trabuco

PLACER

Blue Canyon

Canada Hill

Colfax

Damascus

Duncan Peak

Dutch Flat

Emigrant Gap (also in Nevada County)

Forest Hill

Gold Hill

Gold Run

Iowa Hill

Lost Chance

Lincoln

Michigan Bluff

184

California Division of Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Ophir
Panryn

Rocklin
Tohoe

Todd VolUy
WatlvilU
Wheatland
Yank** Jims

PLUMAS

Blue Not* Mountain
Butte Valley
Cretcent Milli
Genes see
Granite Basin
Johnsvilje
La Porte
Lights Canyon
Meadow Valley
Moorevilie Ridge
Quincy
Rich Bar
Sawpit Flat
Spring Garden
Toylorsville
Virgilio

RIVERSIDE

Arica

Bendigo
Chuckwalla

Dale (also in Son Bernardino County)
Dos PalmOS
Eagle Mountains
Gold Pork
Hexie
Lost Horse
Menifee

Mule Mountains
Pinocote
Pinon

Twenty Nine Palms (also in San
Bernardino County)

SACRAMENTO

Folsom
Michigan Bar

SAN BERNARDINO

Alvord

Arrowhead

Baldwin Lake

Black Hawk

Clark

Coolgardie

Dote (also in Riverside County)

Emerson Lak*

Gold Reef

Goldstone

Grapevine

Hockberry Mountain

Halloran Springs

Hort

Holcomb

Ibex

Ivonpoh

Lytle Creek

Morongo

Old Dad

Old Woman

Ord

Oro Grande

Rand (also in Kern County)

Shadow Mountains

Slate Range (also in Inyo County)

Spongier

Stedman

Trojan

Twenty Nine Palnu

Vonderbilt

Whipple

SAN DIEGO

Bonner

Boulder Creek

Cuyamoco

Deer Pork

Dulzuro

Escondido

Julian

Laguno Mountains

Mesa Grande

Montezuma

Pine Valley

SAN FRANCISCO

Son Francisco Beach

SAN JOAQUIN

Comonch* (also in Calaveras County)

SAN LUIS OBISPO

Point Sol
Surf

SANTA BARBARA

SANTA CRUZ

SHASTA

Backbone

Centerville

Clear Creek

Cottonwood

Deadwood

Dog Creek

French Gulch

Gos Point

Horrison Gulch

Igo

Old Diggings

One

Platina

Redding

Shasta

Whiskeytown

SIERRA

Alleghany
American Hill
Brandy City
Church Meadows
Downieville
Eureka
Forest
Furnier
Gibsonville
Gold Valley
Goodyear's Bar
Pike

Poker Flat
Port Wine
Poverty Hill
Sierra City

SISKIYOU

Deadwood

Dillon Cr**k

Forks of Salmon

Gozoll*

Gottvill*

Greenhorn

Hamburg

Happy Camp

Hornbrook

Humbug

Indian Creek

Knownothing

Liborty

Oak Bar

Oro Fino

Paradise

Sawyers Bar

Scott Bar

Seiod

Snowden

Somesbor

Yreko

SONOA^A

STANISLAUS

Knight's Ferry
La Grange

Jelly Ferry
Polk Springs

TEHA/AA

Callahan
Cecilville
Cottoge Grove
Cottonwood

TRINITY

Big Bar
Bully Choop
Burnt Ranch
Canyon Creek
Corrville
Coffee Creek
Dedrick
Denny
Dodge
Doriesko
Douglas City
East Fork
Eastman Gulch
Hayfork
Helena
Junction City
Lewiston
Minorsville
New River
Solyer
Stuart Fork
Trinity Center
Weaverville

TULARE

Globe

Mineral King

White River (also in Kern County)

TUOLUMNE

American Camp

Big Oak Flat

Buchanan

Chinese Camp

Collierville (also in Calaveras County)

Columbia

Confidence

Garrotte

Granite Springs (also

County)
Grovel Range (also ir
Hardin Flat
Jacksonville

n Mariposa
Mariposa County)

1970

Jamestown

Penon Blanco (also in Mariposa County)

Sonora

Soulsb/ville

Tioga (also in Mono County)

Tuolumne

Tuftlefown

Gold Districts
VENTURA

Frazier Mountain

YOLO

185

YUBA

Browns Valley

Brownsville

Camptonville

Dobbins

Hammonton

Smartsville (also in Nevada County)

INDEX OF ALTERNATE DISTRICT NAMES

Many districts were known by more than one name. Also, the oulhor
sometimes found it convenient to indude in a single district description
information on areas within that district that. In the post, have been
themselves loosely called "districts." The body of the text occasionally
gives an alternate district name and points out those areas that have
been included under a single district heading. However, the table of
contents, the district headings and the illustrations refer to a single
district by the some name, for the sake of consistency.

District and other place nomes not found in the table of contents
appear below. The alternate name preferred in this report appears in
ilalics, followed by the province abbreviation and the page number.
The provinces and abbreviations ore: Sierra Nevada, SN; Klamath
Mountains, KM; Basin Ranges, BR; Mojave Desert, MD; Transverse and
Peninsular Ranges, TPR; Modoc Plateau, MP, and Coast Ranges, CR.

Alto, Dutch flat, SN, 45.
Altoville, Angeli Camp, SN, 25.
Amador City, Jackson-Plymoufh, SN, 69.
Amalie, loroine, SN, 87.
Auld, Menifee, TPR, 174.

Baker Ranch, Michigan Bluff, SN, 90.

Banner, Jufion-Sonner TPR, 172.

Both, Fores* Hill, SN, 49.

Bear Valley, Bogby, SN, 29.

Ben lomond, Santo Cruz, CR, 180.

Big Bar, Trinity River, KM 143.

Big Bend, ranlcee Hill, SN, 131.

Birchville, French Corral, SN, 50.

Black Bear, tiberfy, KM, 139.

Blue Canyon, Emigrant Gap, SN, 45.

Blue Nose Mountain, Sawpit Flat, SN, 1 14

Brown's Flat, Columbia, SN, 39.

Buchanan, Soulsbyviffe, SN, 121.

Buckeye, Granite Basin, SN, 52. This district
is in Butte County. Another Buckeye District,
in Mariposa County, is listed as such in
the text.

Buckeye, Old Diggings, KM, 140.

Buckeye Hill, Scott's Flat, SN ,114.

Bull Creek, Kinsley, SN, 85.

Bunker Hill, GibsonviHe, SN, 51.

Burnt Ranch, Trinity River, KM, 143.

BuHerfly Valley, Quincy, SN, 111.

Byrd's Valley, Michigon Bluff, SN, 90.

Canyon Creek, Dedrick-Conyon Creek, KAA,
135.

Carrville, Trinity River, KM, 143.

Cave City, Mountain Ranch, SN, 93.

Centerville, Butte Creek, SN, 32.

Centerville, Redding, KM, 140.

Chidago, Clover Patch, BR, 148.

Chili Gulch, Mokelumne Hill, SN, 91.

China Flat, Downieville, SN, 44.

Chip's Flat, AHeghony, SN, 19.

Church Meadows, Sierra City, SN, 117.

Clear Creek, Redding, KM, 140.

Clements, Comanche-Loncha Plana, SN, 33.

Coffee Creek, Trinity River, KM, 143.

Colorado, Whitlock, SN, 131.

Columbia Hill, North Columbia, SN, 101.

Concow, Yankee Hill, SN, 131.

Cottage Grove, Klamath River, KM, 139.

Cottonwood, Klamath River, KM, 139. Tliis
district is in Siskiyou County. Another Cot-
tonwood district, in Shasta County, Is listed
as such in the text.

Craig's Flat, Eureko, SN, 46.

Craycroft, Downi'evilfe, SN, 44.

Dead Horse Flat, Vollecito, SN, 126.

Deadwood, Last Chance, SN, 86, or Poker
Flat, SN, 108.

Deadwood, French Gulch, KM, 136. This dis-
trict is in Trinity County. Another Dead-
wood district, in Siskiyou County, is listed
OS such in the text.

Denny, New River-Denny, KM, 139.

Derbec, North Bloomfield, SN, 101.

De Sabia, Magalia, SN, 88.

Descanso, Pine Valley, TPR, 176.

Diamond Springs, Placerville, SN, 107.

Dodge, Trinity River, KM, 143.

Dogtown, Kinsley, SN, 85.

Dogtown Diggings, Jordan, SN, 83.

Douglas City, Trinity River, KM, 143.

Douglas Flat, Vollecito, SN, 126.

Drytown, Jackson-Plymouth, SN, 69.

Duncan Hill, Ophir, SN, 102.

Eost Fork, Helena-East Fork, KM, 138.
Eastman Gulch, Trinity River, KM, 143.
Echo Canyon, tee's Camp-Echo Canyon, BR,

150.
Edmonton, Meadow Valley, SN, 89.
Elizabethtown, Quincy, SN, 111.
Esmeralda, Murphys, SN, 96.
Eureka, Graniteville, SN, 53. This district is

in Nevada County. Another Eureka district,

in Sierra County, is listed as such in the

text.

Feather River, Orovil/e, SN, 103.

Felix, Hodson, SN, 64.

Fool's Paradise, Klamath River, KM, 139.

Forest, Alleghany, SN, 19.

Forest Home, Irish Hill, SN, 69.

Forks of BuHe, Magalia, SN, 88.

Forks of Salmon, Salmon River, KM, 141.

Fourth Crossing, Son Andreas, SN, 114.

Furnier, Sierra City, SN, 117.

Garden Valley, Kelsey, SN, 84
Garlock, El Paso Mountains, BR, 149.
Garrote, Big Ook Flat, SN, 30.
Gas Point, Cottonwood, KM, 134.
Gaston, Gronitevilfe, SN, 53.
Gentry Gulch, Kinsley, SN, 85.
Georgia Slide, Georgetown, SN, 51.
Glencoe, West Point, SN, 129.
Gold Bluff Beach, Crick, CR, 180.
Golden Summit, Kimshew, SN, 85.
Gold Hill, Ophir, SN, 102.
Gold Park, Twentynine Palms. MD, 168.

Gold Valley, Sierra City, SN, 117.
Goler, El Paso Mountains, BR, 149.
Goodyeor's Bar, Alleghany, SN, 19.
Gottville, Klamath River, KM, 139.
Gross Flat, Port Wine, SN, 111.
Greeley Hill, Kinsley, SN, 85.
Greenhorn, Klamath River, KM, 139.
Greenville, Crescent Mills, SN, 42.
Grovelond, Big Ook Flat, SN, 30.

Hamburg, Klamath River, KM, 139.
Honsonville, Brownsvitle, SN, 31.
Happy Camp, Klamath River, KM, 139.
Horrison Flat, Sawpit Flat, SN, 114.
Havilah, Clear Creek, SN, 37.
Hayfork, Trinity River, KM, 143.
Hazel Valley, Grizzly Flot, SN, 61.
Helltown, Butte Creek, SN, 32.
Henry Diggings, Indian Diggings, SN, 66.
Hexie, Twentynine Palms, MD, 168.
Hodges, Mule Mountains, MD, 161.
Hornbrook, Klomoth River, KM, 139.
Howland Flat, Poker Flat, SN, 108.
Hughes Creek, Sycamore Flat, SN, 124.
Humbug Bar, Damascus, SN, 42.
Hunts Hill, Scotts Flat, SN, 114.
Hurleton, BidweH Bor, SN, 29.

Indiana Hill, Gold Run, SN, 52.
Indiana Ranch, Dobbins, SN, 44.
Indian Creek, Klamath River, KM, 139, or

Trinity River, KM, 143.
Indian Gulch, Hornitos, SN, 65.
Indian Valley, Light's Conyon, SN, 86.
Irishtown, Pine Grave, SN, 105.
Italian Bar, American Camp, SN, 24.

Jesus Mario, Rich Gulch, SN, 112.
Junction City, Trinity River, KM, 143.

Kelley, Argus, BR, 146.
Kentucky Flot, Vo/conovi/le, SN, 127.
Kernville, Cove, SN, 42.
Knownothing, Gilta and Solmon River, KM,
137 and 141.

Loke, Mammoth, SN, 89.

lancha Plana, Comonche.lancho Plana, SN,

33.
Lewiston, Trinity River, KM, 143.
Liberty Hill, Lowell Hill, SN, 87.
Logtown, El Dorado, SN, 45.
Long Canyon, Rolston Divide, SN, 112.
Lost Horse, Twentynine Palms, MD, 168.
Lundy, Homer, SN, 64.

186

California Division ok Mines and Geology

Bull. 193

Melones, Corson Hill, SN, 34.
Merrimoc, Granite Basin, SN, 52.
Mesquite, Chocolate Mountains, MD, 154.
Middle Bor, Comonc/ie-lonc/io Plana, SN, 33.
Millon, Jenny Lind. SN, SO.
Minersville, Trinity River, KM, 143.
Minnejota, Alleghany, SN, 19.
Mogul, Moni»or-Mogu/, SN, 92.
Monitor Plot, Sowpi* Flat, SN, 114.
Mono Diggings, Jordan, SN, 83.
Monona Flat, Iowa Hill, SN, 67.
Moonlight Valley, light's Canyon, SN, 86.
Morristown, Eureica, SN, 46.
Mount Fillmore, Polcer Flat, SN, 108.
Mount Ophir, Mount Rullion, SN, 94.
Muletown, Irish Hill, SN, 69.

Nolomo, fo/som, SN, 47.

New England Mills, Colfax, SN, 38.

Newholl, Saugus, TPR ,176.

New York, Vanderbill, MD, 169.

New York Flat, Brownsvil/e, SN, 31.

Nimshew, Magalia, SN, 88.

Ook Bar, Klamath Kiver, KM, 139.

Old Gulch, Calaveri/os, SN, 33.

Oleta, Fiddletown, SN, 46.

Omo Ronch, Indian Diggings, SN, 66.

Onion Volley, Sowpit Flat, SN, 114.

Ono, Igo-Ono, KM, 138.

Orleans Flat, Moore's flot, SN, 93.

Paradise, Klamath River, KM, 139.
Peiion Blanco, Coulfervil/e, SN, 41.
Pinon, Twentynine Palms, MD, 168.
Plocerita Conyon, Saugus, TPR, 176.
Piotina, Harrison Gulch, KM, 137.
Pleasant Valley, Newtown, SN, 101.

Plymouth, JacltsonPlymouth, SN, 69.

Point Sal, Surf-Point Sol, CR, 181.

Potter Ridge, Coorsegold and Grub Gulch,

SN, 38 and 62.
Providence, Trojan, MD, 168.

Quaker Hill, Scotts flat, SN, 1 14.
Quartz Mountain, Fine Cold, SN, 47.

Rawhide, Jomestown, SN, 77.
Reading Creek, Trinity River, KM, 143.
Red Dog, You Bet, SN, 131.
Relief, North Bloomfield, SN, 101.
Remington Hill, lowell Hill, SN, 87.
Rice, Montezuma, TPR, 174.
Robertson Flat, Conada Hill. SN, 33.
Rochester, Sledmon, MD, 167.
Rosamond, Mo/ove-ftosomonc/, MD, 159.

Soilor Flat, Canada Hill, SN, 33.

Salyer, Trinity River, KM, 143.

Son Gabriel, Saugus, TPR, 176.

Sawmill Flat, Columbia, SN, 39.

Sawyers Bar, Salmon River, KM, 141.

Scales, Poverty Hill, SN, 111.

Seiad, Klamath River, KM, 139.

Shows Flat, Sonora, SN, 121.

Silverado, Collstogo, CR, 178.

Skull Flat, West Point, SN, 129.

S'oughhouse, MIchigon Bar, SN, 90.

Slug Gulch, Fairplay, SN, 46.

Smith Flat, Placerville, SN, 107.

Snowden, Salmon River, KM, 141.

Soledad, Saugus, TPR, 176.

Somesbar, Klamath River, KM, 139.

South Bullfrog, Chloride Cliff, BR, 148.

South Park, Boffarot, BR, 146.

Spanish Dry Diggings, Greenwoocf, SN, 60.

Spanish Ranch, Meoifow Volley, SN, 89.
Springfield, Columblo, SN, 39.
Squabbletown, Columbia, SN, 39.
Star Town, tost Chance, SN, 86.
Stent, Jamestown, SN, 77.
St. Louis, Port Wine, SN, HI.
Stuart Fork, Trinity River, KM, 143.
Suiter Creek, Jockson-Plymouth, SN, 69.
Sweetlond, North Son Juan, SN, 102.

Timbuctoo, Smortsville, SN, 1 20.
Tinemoho, fish Springs, BR, 149.
Todd Volley, forest Hill, SN, 49.
Towie, Dutch flat, SN, 45.
Trinity Center, Trinity River, KM, 143.
Tujungo, Azuso-Tuiungo, TPR, 170.
Tumco, Cargo Muchocho-Tumco, MD, 153.
Tuolumne, Soulsbyville, SN, 121.
Tucki Mountain, Skidoo, BR, 151.

Valley Springs, Compo Seco-Volley Springs,

SN, 33.
Virgilia, Butt Volley, SN, 32.
Virginia Dole, Dale, MD, 157.

Wollace, Comonche-lancho Plana, SN, 33.
Washington, Sheep fianch, SN, 115.
Weitchpec, Klamath and Trinity Rivers, KM,

139 and 143.
Whiskey Diggings, Gibsonville, SN, 51.
Whiskeytown, Shasta-Whiskeytown, KM, 142.
Willow Creek, Trinity River, KM, 143.
Willow Valley, Nevodo City, SN, 97.
Woolsey Flat, Moore's flot, SN, 93.
Wyandotte, Bongor-Wyandotfe, SN, 29.

Yankee Jim:
Yreko, Klon

forest Hill, SN, 49.
3th River, KM, 139.

TNSA

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no. 193

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